


Ali'i

by Driwed



Category: NCT (Band), Stray Kids (Band), TXT (Korea Band), Target (Korea Band), The Boyz (Korea Band), VERIVERY (Band), WITZ (Korea Band), We In The Zone (Band)
Genre: K anime based, K project based, Target, anime based, k - Freeform, kings - Freeform, kpop, nct - Freeform, stray kids - Freeform, the boyz - Freeform, txt, verivery - Freeform, we in the zone - Freeform, witz
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-20
Updated: 2019-09-25
Packaged: 2020-09-19 14:56:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 17
Words: 22,824
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20329120
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Driwed/pseuds/Driwed
Summary: Seven kings, seven stories that one day become intertwined because of a shocking incident.





	1. Brief Words

**hi everyone. please read the following:**

** THIS IS NOT MY ORIGINAL IDEA ** **.**

**Ever since watching the anime that this is based off of, i've wanted to write a story like it.**

**obviously not exactly like it because copyright and shit, but the anime is named ** ** K ** **. but if you were to search for it online then it's ** ** K anime ** ** or something like that.**

**and yes, I'm aware that some of y'all don't know the first thing about anime, and tbh there are still a few things I don't understand about it (the anime), but other than that, enjoy the story!**

**(I always choose my groups at random from groups I stan. so that's why I don't write about other groups like ateez and all. with the exception of ** ** Just Twink Things ** ** because a twit moot wanted them in it and I can never say no to them)**


	2. Prologue

Each clan had their own place that they established as their base of operations. They all had their own territory that they watched over and kept the peace in. Sometimes they would have scuffles with each other when it came to someone escaping into another king's territory that another king's group was pursuing. There were times when they worked together to get a common enemy.

The hierarchy worked like this: The Silver King was the most powerful with the Gold King trailing right behind. Next would come the Green King then the Red King. Gray would take fifth while Blue and Colorless took sixth and seventh. Colorless's position would vary depending on the power the king was bestowed with. The Colorless and Silver Clans were usually the more recluse clans.

Each clan has their own name, with the list going as follows:

Silver Clan: Morse  
Gold Clan: Veris  
Red Clan: Strays  
Blue Clan: NCity  
Green Clan: F.S.S  
Gray Clan: Carmine  
Colorless Clan: Wonnie

Little did all of them know that a time would come where they would all have to work together despite some clans having bad blood between each other, specifically the Red and Blue clans, when an alarming incident occurred.


	3. Chapter 1

Johnny quietly sat at his desk in his silent room. Downstairs, the entirety of the NCity was buzzing about, hacking and gathering information about his sudden disappearance. Johnny didn't have to step out of his office to know what was going on and what was being said. A knock was heard on his door and he allowed the person to enter.

"Sorry to disturb your peace and quiet. We have an update about the disappearance. It wasn't just Mr. Kim that disappeared. Apparently Huening Kai, Jo Gyehyeon, Yang Jeongin, Kim Younghoon, Im Jooan and Im Junghak have gone missing as well and the clans are scrambling for information." reported Hendery as he placed sheets of paper on Johnny's desk. He stepped back then continued to explain. "We're looking into those as well to see if they have any connection to Mr. Kim's disappearance."

Johnny kept his eyes on the jigsaw before him then put the piece he was holding down.

"Is that all, Hendery?" Johnny asked without looking up.

"Yes, Mr. Seo." Hendery replied with a slight bow.

Johnny sighed as he sat back in his seat. Hendery remained silent as he awaited Johnny's orders.

"Doyoung would handle something like this with a flick of a finger... It's bad enough the Red King's Choi is starting to weaken. Now we have such an unpleasant burden to add to our ever growing pile. Hendery, see to it that Doyoung is found immediately. Expect a few kings to come in contact with us." Johnny said before dismissing Hendery. He left his seat then walked over towards the window in his room. "Of all times for us to lose our right hands..."

✵ ✹ ✵ ✹

Hendery furiously typed away on his computer and was approached by Jaemin and Mark.

"So you're filling in for Mr. Kim huh?" Jaemin asked.

"Mr. Kim personally told me and wrote on a signed document that I would take over for him if anything were to happen that he couldn't be by Mr. Seo's side." Hendery explained while he worked. "Instead of chatting, put your energy into finding Mr. Kim."

"What kind of state was Mr. Seo in? We know how close they kind of are." Mark pressed as he remembered overhearing a conversation.

"He looked the same. Look, I'm not going to repeat myself. Mr. Seo wants Mr. Kim found stat." hissed Hendery as he shooed them away.

"He's taking this way too seriously." Jaemin whispered as they walked away.

"I think he's acting accordingly unlike two others." a voice said from behind them.

"J- Jeno..." Mark stammered before slightly bowing. "My apologies for not guiding him right. We'll be on our way."

Jeno shook his head as he watched them scurry off. He turned around to look at Hendery hard at work. He admired him greatly. How he always stayed calm in the midst of battle, especially with the Reds, how quick he thought on his feet and his amazing hacking skills. He could be the next Kim Doyoung. Hendery looked up from his computer and met eyes with Jeno.

"Jeno, come here a second." said Hendery before going back to the computer in front of him. Jeno hurried over to his side and looked. "You're coming with me to meet the Colorless clan. They're the most recluse and two of them have requested to meet up with us."

"Wonnie? Aren't they dangerous and that's why the First King sent them away?" Jeno asked full of worry.

"Our king predicted we'd have others trying to contact us. I believe in our king and so should you." Hendery said as he packed up his things.

"Right. I'm sorry, Hendery." replied Jeno as he followed him out.

✵ ✹ ✵ ✹

Hendery waited on the platform for the clan members to arrive. He didn't expect their clan to be approached so soon, especially from one of the two reclusive clans. Jeno looked at Hendery and wondered how he could be so calm when clansmen of the rumored dangerous clan were coming. The train pulled in two hours later. Neither knew what the clansmen looked like, but apparently they knew what they looked like.

"Hendery Hwang, temporary right hand to the Fourth King, the Blue King, Johnny Seo." a voice said from behind them.

Hendery turned around and noticed a short person and a tall person. The shorter person stepped forward while the taller one stayed behind him.

"Are you from the Colorless clan...?" Jeno asked as he had his hand on the hilt of his sword.

"Indeed. Our king said it would be best if we met you and worked together to bring Mr. Im home." the shorter one said.

"May we have names? You two didn't appear on any records." Hendery commented as he checked over his information.

"My name is Hyogi. He's Minhyun. He doesn't talk much, but his fighting skills are noteworthy." said Hyogi.

"We shall take you back to our headquarters to talk more. I'm sure Mr. Seo would like to get a word in." Hendery said as he took the lead.

"So, is there anyone back home watching your king?" Jeno asked as they walked.

"Unfortunately, no. That is why we must make haste so we can return to our king's side." Hyogi said with balled fists.

Jeno nodded in understanding and wondered why Wonnie was so few in numbers. He chose not to ask at the moment and waited for a better time.

✵ ✹ ✵ ✹

Johnny beckoned the knocker to come in. He turned away from the window and greeted the guests.

"Nice to meet you both. You must be the new members since I don't recognize your faces." Johnny said as he gestured for them to sit. "How is the Colorless king doing?"

"The name is Kim Hyogi. He is Sohn Minhyun. Our king is doing well. He just got over a cold." Hyogi replied. "Minhyun doesn't talk much."

"I see. Your king couldn't be bothered to come with you both, huh?" asked Johnny as he offered them tea.

"He was not ready to face the world after hiding from society for so long. I'm sure you dislike idle chat, so we'll get straight to the point. Our king, Kim Jaemin, told us to contact you and see if we could work together on finding our right hands." Hyogi replied.

"Jaemin... When it directly affects him he sure works fast. Just like that blasted First King." Johnny said with a sigh. "We, NCity, will offer you our headquarters as shelter as you stay here."

"Sir, are you sure?" Hendery asked.

"Hendery, are you questioning your king's judgment?" Johnny asked.

"No, sir." replied Hendery with a bow.

"Jeno, see to it that these two are given a tour of our building and are placed in a room owned by us." said Johnny as he stood up. "It was a pleasure meeting you both. I'm sure you're tired from the trip here, so we can continue this conversation tomorrow. Hendery, stay."

The other three left the room and Hendery had kept his eyes on Johnny. Johnny walked back to his desk then sat.

"Any news on Doyoung's disappearance?" Johnny asked sternly.

"No, sir. We're trying our best. If I may suggest something?" Hendery asked. Johnny gave him the go ahead. "Perhaps if we used the public and offered a reward, they'd be more willing to share information."

"Use whatever means necessary. Dismissed." said Johnny.

Hendery bowed before leaving the room. He hurried downstairs and told the others about his plan. They just had to find Doyoung, for their King's sake.


	4. Chapter 2

"Mr. Ju, is this really the way? It feels like we've been going in circles." Minchan quipped as they walked up the mountain.

"Hush. Our king would never lead us astray. Have more faith in your king, Minchan." Hoyoung seethed.

"Yeonho sir, Minchan has made a crucial point. Was there a slight miscalculation?" Dongheon asked.

"Wait for it." Yeonho said as he stopped walking.

The others circled him in case of an enemy attacked. They stood on alert at the sound of rustling leaves.

"Stay sharp everyone!" Minchan shouted as he kept his eyes peeled for anything suspicious.

A figure jumped out from behind the trees and landed in the middle beside Yeonho.

"Mr. Ju, Mr. Choi has been expecting you." the person said while in a bowed position.

"Ah, stand up straight. Please, lead the rest of the way." Yeonho said with a smile.

The clansmen nodded then took the lead. Yeonho's clansmen looked at each other before following.

✵ ✹ ✵ ✹

The clansmen pushed the door open and revealed the inside of Morse's base of operations. They soon heard clapping and the sound of footsteps on the floor. Yeonho broke out in a smile.

"Well done, Taehyun. Go fetch us some drinks. Pretty sure this conversation will leave us winded." the Silver king said as he motioned for them to follow him.

Hoyoung and Dongheon sat on either side of Yeonho while Minchan sat next to Dongheon. The Silver king and Taehyun sat on the opposite side.

"Gyehyeon is missing." Yeonho started, his happy mood disappearing and becoming serious.

"Right hands from all clans are missing. Even Wonnie." said the Silver king losing his carefree attitude. "There are two important things right now. Who and why."

"Beomgyu, do you think it's the other kings rebelling?" Yeonho asked.

"It's plausible. But if it was a king's doing, would their right hand go missing?" Beomgyu retorted.

"Mr. Choi, if I may interject. It is possible that they could fake losing their right hand to seem innocent." Hoyoung said.

"Precisely. That's why I brought it up, Beomgyu. The public wouldn't dare mess with us unless they have a death wish." Yeonho explained.

"Let's keep all of our options open. I'd hate to admit it, but we need NCity because of their power with the government and general public and Stray with their knowledge of the underground." Beomgyu said with a heavy sigh. "Never in all my years would I have thought I'd rely on either."

"Don't worry, I feel the same way." Yeonho said with a weary smile.

✵ ✹ ✵ ✹

Minchan looked at Taehyun who walked beneath the Silver king. He had heard about the Silver's king's zero gravity power but never expected to see it up close.

"All right, from this distance it'll be a straight shot into the heart of Tokyo. Though, I can't guarantee where we'll land." said Beomgyu as he lowered himself to the ground.

Everyone held his hand and became temporary clansmen with his ability but without free will to move about.

"Mr. Choi, is this-" Dongheon started but was forced to stop when Beomgyu took off.

Hoyoung admired the sights from above as they traveled over bridges, roads, cars, people, you name it. He still couldn't believe his king and the Silver king were old friends.

"Minchan, Hoyoung. Once we land, you are to stay with the First king and help him. I have to go back and keep the orb under control." Yeonho said then looked at Dongheon. "You're coming back with me."

"Understood." they said in unison.

"Leaving so soon, Yeon? Come visit me more often when the balance of peace isn't in jeopardy." Beomgyu said with a hearty laugh.

"Carefree as always. The one thing I always hated about you. Take care of my boys, will you?" said Yeonho as he could see their landing spot.

"Of course." Beomgyu replied before stopping on a rooftop. "This is where we part. Until next time, Yeon."

Dongheon waved to his fellow clansmen before holding Yeonho and jumping off the roof.

"We of Veri are at your disposal in accordance of our king's orders." Hoyoung and Minchan said in unison.

"Save the formalities for another time. Let's go meet with the Red king. Do you know where their base of operations is?" Beomgyu asked.

"Follow us." Hoyoung said then started going down the fire escape.

✵ ✹ ✵ ✹

Woojin swirled his drink around as his clansmen worked. Some were out gathering information from the underground while others stayed at the bar searching online. No one was behind the bar counter.

"Woojin sir, we received word that clansmen from the Veri are in our vicinity making their way to here. It seems the Silver king is with them." Felix said.

"Let them come. It's obvious what they're here for. Question is, did they go to the Blues first?" Woojin said slowly.

The door opened and Beomgyu had entered with Taehyun, Minchan and Hoyoung. Woojin raised an eyebrow at the sight. He expected to see Dongheon among them.

"And to what do I owe the pleasure of being in the almighty First king, the Silver king's presence?" Woojin asked as he lit a cigarette.

"You know why we're here. I came to you first because of your connections underground. This doesn't seem like anything but underground work." Beomgyu said as he took a seat at the bar.

"Well, if you're looking for info, all we have is that all the other right hands of the other clans are missing as well." said Woojin after taking a puff.

"I figured as much. I know this idea won't thrill you at all in the least but, let's team up with the Blues. With both of you working above and under ground, we'll probably cover more ground. The Gold king is also providing help through these two." said Beomgyu as he gestured to Hoyoung and Minchan.

"And if we decline?" Woojin asked, knocking off ash.

"It'll be much longer in figuring out what the hell happened and getting our men back." Beomgyu said with a serious look.

Woojin took another drag from his cigarette before putting it out. They quietly waited for him to make a decision. He hated getting involved with the Blues more than being bossed around.

"Wait until Chan comes back. Then I'll go with you along with him and Felix." Woojin said with a tired sigh.

✵ ✹ ✵ ✹

Hoyoung watched from behind as Woojin and Beomgyu walked side by side. He never thought the ferocious and careless Red king was actually pretty rational. He was always depicted as someone rash and self serving. There really was more to him that met the eye.

"Can't believe we hafta team up with'em Blues." Chan spat as they walked.

Passerby stepped back at the sight of the Reds. Minchan noticed this and wondered just how feared they were. Taehyun and Hoyoung noticed a few who seemed happy to see them. They couldn't be all bad if they had fans.

"Ah, I see the building. I'm getting nervous, what about you?" Beomgyu asked in order to lighten the mood.

"I can't guarantee I won't get annoyed by Johnny." Woojin said with a shrug.

"Still don't like each other huh?" said Beomgyu with a bitter smile.

They arrived in front of the building and were instantly granted entrance as if they were expecting them. The three clans passed through the gate and into a eye opening battle.


	5. Chapter 3

**~Next Day~**

Johnny looked around at the others gathered in his office. They sat at a table with their drinks.

"Have the Greens or Grays reached out to any of you?" Beomgyu asked as he specifically looked at the other kings.

"No. And I'm assuming they haven't reached out to you since you're asking." Johnny said then took a sip of his tea.

The others nodded in agreement. It was then Jeno burst into the room panting heavily. Everyone looked as he caught his breath.

"We've received word from F.S.S! Their king has sent two clansmen to meet and talk with us about the situation." Jeno said with bated breath. "Should we send people out to go and bring them here or go to the appointed meeting spot?"

"Bring them here. It'll save time. Step on it." said Johnny as he dismissed him.

The door closed and Woojin let out a tired sigh. Beomgyu gave him a look while Johnny gave him a side glare.

"These other kings are getting full of themselves. The least they can do is come out for a chat." Woojin commented, glancing at the Gold and Colorless clansmen. "Am I wrong, Seo?"

Johnny remained silent as he drank his tea. Woojin had always had a sharp tongue and never hesitated to speak the truth about someone. It was something he admired and hated about Woojin. A knock was heard and Jaehyun had stepped in.

"I apologize for interrupting your important discussion, but we just received word from Carmine. The king and a clansmen are on their way here." Jaehyun reported then looked at Johnny. "Should we offer protection?"

"Not necessary. Just make sure to let both clans in. Dismissed." Johnny said weakly.

"They really make sure you're up to date huh?" Beomgyu said with a sheepish smile.

"Such lapdogs..." Woojin muttered as he downed his coffee.

✵ ✹ ✵ ✹

The Green clansmen were led to Johnny's office and the Blues had announced their arrival. The Grays were just entering the building at the time.

"Nice of you to join us, F.S.S. Is there a reason your king couldn't come?" Woojin asked, looking at the shorter one. "I've seen you before. Ju Haknyeon, the one rumored to be on par with Kim Younghoon."

"My reputation precedes me." Haknyeon said with a shrug.

"The Grays aren't here despite the situation." the taller mumbled.

Just as they took their seats, the Gray clan walked in. Everyone could feel the overbearing presence as he walked in.

"Are you always this happy, Shihyun?" Johnny said more than asked.

"What's wrong with being happy, huh?" Shihyun replied as he made his way to the table. "Anyway, be happy I bothered to show unlike a few others."

"Please excuse my king's bluntness." Kyeongheon said with a slight bow. "He's really upset over Jooan's kidnapping."

"We're all some kind of upset over our current losses, but we're here to talk about getting our right hands back and possible suspects." Beomgyu said sternly.

"Wow, you haven't aged a bit First King!" Shihyun said with an eye smile and a clap.

"Just say you want to be looked upon fondly by Choi and shut the hell up." Woojin spat as he glared at Shihyun.

"So harsh, Woojin. So, what have we missed?" Shihyun asked with a smile.

Johnny sighed then gave them a summary of what they had talked about. Haknyeon nodded and Kyeongheon asked for clarification in certain areas. After Johnny explained the details, Juyeon had spoke up.

"So, all we really know is that our kings' right hands are missing. Do you know when they disappeared?" Juyeon asked quietly.

"Well, Junghak told us he was going out but never came back. We don't know where he went." said Hyogi while Minhyun nodded.

"Mr. Kim didn't specify either, but he said it was urgent. We believe he went to meet someone, but was attacked on the way." Hendery said from Johnny's side.

"Really? It seems like that happened with all of ours huh? They went somewhere and never came back." Shihyun said with a clueless look.

"Mr. Seo, we have an update!" Mark shouted then noticed the large circle. "Oh, I'm sorry."

"Say what you need." Johnny said with a bored look.

"We received video footage that might give us a clue to Mr. Kim's whereabouts." Mark said, unsure of whether he should enter the room.

Hendery beckoned him to come in so they could hear him better. Mark nervously stepped in, never having been in the presence of more than his own king before.

"I'll put the video up on the screen." Mark said as he shook.

The video appeared and Mark had pressed play. The video started and it was shaky and blurry. They could hear the sounds of cars and human buzz. Finally the video cleared up and they could see Doyoung waiting for something or someone. They could hear little squeals, most likely coming from the recorder.

It was then Minhyun had gasped and moved closer. Junghak had appeared in the frame. Not too long after, Younghoon, Kai, Jeongin, Jooan and Gyehyeon were in frame for a bit before exiting it. Her focus was still on Doyoung. They all crossed paths once more and vanished in an instant. They heard surprised gasps and people clamoring. The video ended.

"This is what she sent us." Mark said. "She wished to remain hidden."

"So they all disappeared on the same time. They all left on the same day. You all could've mentioned that." Johnny said with a glare. "That would've saved time."

"Slipped my mind." Shihyun giggled.

Woojin rolled his eyes but kept quiet. Beomgyu was silent as well. Haknyeon looked at the others then sighed.

"Either way, we now know where they were and what time they disappeared. Afternoon right?" Hoyoung said as he replayed images in his mind.

"Precisely. I'll send some of my men to search the area. The rest of you decide what you want to do before I send them out." Johnny said with his hands folded.

"Kyeong, go with them." Shihyun said with a happy clap.

"Taehyun." Beomgyu said with a look.

Taehyun nodded then got up with Kyeongheon. Woojin looked at Felix who nodded. Juyeon stood up and joined the others. Hyogi and Minhyun stood up together.

"So I assume you're all going with my men? Fine. The rest of us will stay and search for suspects." Johnny said then had Mark take the others downstairs to visit the site.

Hyogi convinced Minhyun to stay before they officially left the room. Everyone looked at Minhyun as he rejoined them on the floor.

"Are ya mute or somethin'?" Chan asked without filter.

"Chan, be nice. And speak properly." Hendery said firmly.

"Properly my ass. I go an speak just how I feel like." Chan spat before looking at Woojin. "You gone et'im speak to me tat way?"

"Don't act like Jeongin hasn't told you either. Sometimes you're hard to understand." Woojin said with a shrug.

Chan fumed. Haknyeon decided to take the reins and get started on their suspect search.

"So, shall we head over to see if we can find suspects, Mr. Seo?" Haknyeon said as he got up.

"Right." Johnny replied.

Beomgyu sighed and wondered exactly how these kings after Yeonho were chosen. In his opinion, the only one that fit the criteria for becoming king was Johnny despite his big technicality. Though, he hadn't really had contact with any of the kings besides Yeonho for over five years. So he was really only familiar with previous kings from before the current ones, excluding Johnny and Woojin.

"Hey Johnny, you've been keeping track of the new kings since forever right?" Beomgyu asked as they walked to another room.

"We can talk about that later." Johnny responded as he opened a door. "Right now, we need to find our men."


	6. Chapter 4

Passerby looked at the group who had closed off the area to search around for any remnant of a clue. Hoyoung checked around the store Gyehyeon was at before he ultimately vanished. The others did the same, checking spots and places where their higher ups were last seen.

"Hey." Jeno called out as he approached Hyogi.

"Did you find something?" Hyogi asked as he searched through the trash.

"It's not about that... I wanted to know about your clan. Are there more clansmen than you, Minhyun and Junghak?" Jeno pried as he helped Hyogi search.

"No. It's just us. It's been this way for at least a year now." Hyogi replied, sighing at his empty hands. "Losing Junghak was a real blow to our king."

"Does he rely on him a lot?" asked Jeno.

"They're childhood friends. Junghak looked out for him despite being a year younger. I'm the oldest in the clan, but Junghak really feels like the 'mom' among us." Hyogi said with a smile. "And this is why we need to bring him home."

"One more question... Why did the First king deem your clan dangerous? You seem pretty harmless to us." Jeno commented as he looked Hyogi over.

"It was probably because of our first Colorless king. I've only heard stories from ex clan members, but at the time, her power rivaled that of the immortal Silver king, surpassing the Gold king. Her powers were too much and put strain on her, also destroying her Choi in the process. So both the Silver and Gold king took her far away to where we reside now along with her loyal followers. No one knows exactly what happened, but she was no longer king and a random good natured clansmen was chosen." explain Hyogi as he pieced together the fragments he had gotten over time.

"Wow, what a complicated story... I wonder if they were truly able to help her." Jeno muttered as he stayed by Hyogi's side.

Chan scratched his head as he couldn't understand how Jeongin could just up and disappear. He wasn't easily taken down. He looked and saw Haknyeon picking through a trash can.

"Hey youse. Hell ya lookin' fer in the trash, huh?" Chan asked as he blocked the hole to the trashcan.

"Clues. Now please move." Haknyeon said with a tired look. "I don't have the patience today."

"Eh? No patience? I musta got on ya nerves, huh?" Chan pressed as he leaned his forehead against Haknyeon's.

"I tried asking nicely..." he said before grabbing Chan by the hair and tossing him away. "Get back to work. You won't find Mr. Yang this way."

"Oi! Hell ya think I am if you tink em finna let cha get away wit tat." Chan seethed as he rubbed his scalp.

"No fighting." Taehyun said, mysteriously appearing in between them.

"Fuckin' Green started it." Chan spat as he walked away.

"Thank you, Taehyun. Have you found anything?" Haknyeon asked softly.

"No, but I think the Blues might've." he replied as he looked at the huddled Blues.

Hoyoung sighed heavily then noticed something shining in the corner of his eye. He looked over then gasped. It was Gyehyeon's pin. He picked it up and observed it. Nothing seemed wrong with it, but why wasn't it taken with him? Something was strange about the kidnapping. They were all in plain sight, no where near any alleys.

Kyeongheon walked over to Hoyoung, only to be cut off by Taehyun. Hoyoung noticed the both of them then wondered why Kyeongheon was walking away.

"Isn't that Mr. Jo's pin? Why is it here?" Taehyun asked as he looked it over.

"That's what I don't understand. Unless it fell off beforehand." Hoyoung said as he placed it in his pocket. "But that seems highly unlikely as he always made sure it was securely fastened..."

"Let's bring it up when we get back." Taehyun suggested as they walked over to Jeno and Hyogi.

"Hey did you find anything?" Jeno asked.

"No. You two?" Hoyoung asked.

"Junghak's keychain plush. He'd never go anywhere without it. It's like his good luck charm." Hyogi said as he palmed it. "He must be in danger..."

✵ ✹ ✵ ✹

Johnny yawned then received notice of the search team heading back. He told the others in the room in an effort to get them to compile a list quickly.

"And we're done." Beomgyu said as he stretched out.

"Hendery, escort everyone back to the other room. I have something to discuss with the First king." said Johnny.

"Yes, sir." Hendery replied as he led the others out.

"So you want to know how many new kings have come within the span of five years?" Johnny asked as he looked Beomgyu in the eye.

"Yes. Me and the Colorless clan aren't exactly in the loop." confessed Beomgyu.

"Then reconsider being such a recluse and only lending a hand when it deeply hurts you. Even Jaemin isn't as bad as you, you high strung king." Johnny seethed.

"In more ways than one, you're a lot like Woojin." teased Beomgyu.

"I'm nothing that like power hungry, reckless, conceited Red king." replied Johnny with a heavy sigh. "Back to the topic at hand, there have been no new Red kings, no new Blue kings, one new Green king, two new Gray kings and no new Colorless king. I'm sure you'd know if a new Gold king appeared." Johnny said.

"So Jaemin is still king... He lived through that life threatening illness?" asked Beomgyu despite his question already being answered.

"Yes" was all Johnny said before leaving his seat and suggesting they catch up with the others. Beomgyu nodded and quietly thought as he followed Johnny. He was certain Jaemin would've died. How did he survive? How did the other kings die so quickly in the span of five years?

"Mr. Choi!" Taehyun shouted as he and Hoyoung approached him at top speed.

"Huh? What is it?" asked Beomgyu, clueless.

Hoyoung revealed the pin then quietly explained the significance. He placed it back in his pocket and asked whether they should reveal it in the discussion.

"Do it." Beomgyu said as they walked back to the room.

✵ ✹ ✵ ✹

"So, if anyone found something, please speak up." Johnny said as Hendery handed out the list of suspects. "And yes, you will see your own names and pictures there because we can't be too sure whether you're not guilty of the kidnappings."

"We found Junghak's good luck plush keychain. He never goes anywhere without it. It was by the spot he disappeared in." Hyogi said as he showed everyone. "There has to be a reason it couldn't be taken."

"We also found something. Gyehyeon's pin. Just like Junghak, we rarely never see him with it." Hoyoung said as he passed the bagged pin around.

"Now we're getting somewhere. All disappeared at the same time in the same place and certain items they cherish weren't taken with them." Woojin commented as he swirled his coffee. "Chan, Felix, any results?"

"None. Chan was too busy fighting with Haknyeon to bother helping me." said Felix as he held his head.

Woojin glared at Chan who shrunk in his seat. Felix just had to go and tattle on him. Felix looked at Chan then smiled as if he did nothing wrong.

"Thank you for that, Lix. I'll make sure Chan repays his debt." said Woojin as Felix leaned over and had his head stroked.

"We didn't find anything, sir." Jeno said as he bowed with Mark.

"Jooan didn't really value much, so going was pretty pointless." Kyeongheon said as he glared at his king.

"Don't be so sour, Kyeong! Smile, haha!" Shihyun said with a bright smile.

"I couldn't locate anything. Mr. Kim was a stingy kind of guy." Haknyeon said with his head lowered.

"I did not find anything relating to Huening. My apologies, Mr. Choi." Taehyun said.

"Now this makes things weirder. Why were their things left, but no one else?" Juyeon piped up. "How should we proceed from here?"

"You're more suited to being a Blue than a Green, Juyeon. Think about it." Johnny said with a sly smile. "How we should approach this... I've rewatched the video in my spare time and I noticed something. You can easily miss it if you blink. Their phones briefly lit up before they disappeared." explained Johnny as he had Mark pull the video up. "Look carefully at this exact moment. Slow it down, Mark. See, they all have their phones in their hands and they all light up right before they vanish."

"Wow. That is easy to overlook." Shihyun said with a slight whine.

"So you're suggesting their phones had something to do with it?" Haknyeon asked.

"Precisely. Which means we can narrow down our search to those with a mass amount of digital knowledge." Johnny said with his hands behind his back. "Their plan would've been flawless had it not required their phones to light up."


	7. Chapter 5

Doyoung pulled at his restraints with his body with his mouth gagged. He could see the others from the other clans chained up and unconscious. How long had he been gone? He couldn't tell. There were no windows and only one door leading in and out. He rolled his way over to one of the others and hoped to wake him.

"Ugh, leave me be." he groaned as Doyoung rolled a bit away.

"Jeongin, wake up. I don't know where we are, but we need to figure out how to get rid of these restraints." said Doyoung as he looked at a half awake Jeongin. "Can you burn your way through the chains?"

"I can try. I'm not as strong as Woojin though..." Jeongin said then started to burn away at the chains.

Junghak and Kai soon started to stir. Jeongin panted heavily as there was hardly a scratch on the chains.

"If you can't burn through then they must've taken our powers into account..." Doyoung muttered as he thought of other escape plans.

"Hey, aren't you from that recluse Colorless clan?" Gyehyeon said, looking at Junghak.

"What of it? Let's focus on our current situation and talk about other things later." Junghak replied as he worked his way over to Doyoung. "Jeongin, you couldn't burn through?"

Jeongin shook his head. Junghak sighed then looked at the other clansmen. None of them besides Jeongin had a power suited to breaking free.

"Try again. I'll help this time." said Junghak as he struggled to join hands with him.

"How are you going to help? What powers do you have?" Jeongin asked skeptically.

"Just trust me for now." Junghak responded. "Now burn it!"

Jeongin activated his power then felt a weird sensation throughout his body.

"It's... working." Doyoung said in disbelief. "Junghak's what's going on?"

Jeongin was soon free from his chains. He hurriedly joined hands with Junghak and melted his chains. They only got as far as freeing Doyoung before someone had come in. There weren't many places to hide, so they all huddled in one spot.

"Where did they go?" the person asked.

Kai pretended to be asleep. He received a few kicks before the person started to look around. It was only a matter of time before they were located.

"We're out of options. We need to make a break for the door." Doyoung whispered quietly. "Whoever makes it out, go get help."

They nodded then ran out just as the person reached their hiding spot.

"Hey!" they said then pulled out their intercom. "Code Blue. Three prisoners are on the run. Reporting from Under Earth Basement 3 room 001."

Alarms blared loudly as they ran down the halls, not knowing which way was the right way.

"Why don't we just make our own path out?" Junghak suggested.

"I caught a bit of what that person said. We're in Under Earth Basement three. We're not on Earth's surface level." said Doyoung as they spotted stairs. "We need to get back to the surface before we get reckless."

Henchmen started to descend the stairs and Jeongin easily blew them aside with his flames.

"What about your sword, Doyoung?" Jeongin asked as they reached basement 2.

"Our priority is one of us getting out of here to let everyone know." responded Doyoung as he flipped a henchman over.

They continued to fight henchmen as they moved up to basement 1 and eventually the basement.

"We're almost there! I can see the door leading to the stairs!" Junghak said as they continued to run.

"Something's wrong..." Doyoung muttered before realizing. "Jeongin, watch out!"

Jeongin was pushed to the side and both him and Junghak watched as Doyoung was electrified. Jeongin moved to help him up, but Junghak pulled him away and towards the stairs.

"We can't just leave him!" Jeongin exclaimed as he looked back.

"Do you not remember what he said? At least one of us needs to escape and tell the others." Junghak replied as they climb the stairs. "Don't let his sacrifice be in vain."

Jeongin nodded in understanding as they continued to climb. He couldn't let his emotions get the better of him. They had their clans to warn. They had finally reached the ground floor.

"Jeongin, let's burn through this wall. It's made of metal." Junghak said as he felt it.

They held hands and Jeongin's fire easily melted the metal in front of them. The sound of blaring alarms grew fainter the farther they traveled. Jeongin started to melt the wall and saw sunlight peeking through.

"There they are! Get'em!" a henchman said as they charged after them.

Jeongin used more firepower then pushed Junghak out.

"Go! Go get help!" Jeongin said as he was soon seized. "Run!"

Junghak scrambled to his feet and ran. He had no idea where they were, but anywhere was better than where they were being held.

✵ ✹ ✵ ✹

Junghak's chest heaved as he leaned against a wall to catch his breath. He didn't go out into the city often, so he didn't know which way was the right way. If anything, Doyoung should've been the one to escape.

"Sir, are you okay?" a concerned woman asked.

"Do you... do you know how to get to... the Blue Clan's headquarters? You know, NCity?" Junghak asked slowly.

"Yes. You can lean on me if you need to." she said with a smile.

Junghak stood up then backed away from her. She seemed strange. He ran past her then ducked into a nearby store.

"Excuse me, I know this is going to be weird and all but may I use your phone to call someone? It's really important." Junghak asked pleadingly.

"Uh, sure..." he said then handed his phone over.

Junghak quickly dialed Felix's number and waited for him to pick up. He ducked behind an aisle then felt relieved to hear him pick up.

"Who's this?" Felix asked.

"It's me, Junghak. Jeongin's friend. Doyoung and Jeongin helped me escape from some prison like place and now I think I'm being followed by them. The area was pretty desolate. Like a factory area. I'm hiding out in a store and I have no idea how to get to NCity from here. The store's name is Just D-" Junghak said then quickly moved at the sight of the woman who offered him help.

"Junghak? Junghak are you there? Mr. Seo sent people to go and get you. Junghak?" Felix called out as the cashier's phone was left on the floor while he and Junghak were dragged out unconscious.

✵ ✹ ✵ ✹

Minhyun tightly held onto Hyogi as they arrived with the Blues. They quickly located the phone Junghak was using and other important clues.

"There's blood over here too!" a Blue clansmen said.

Hyogi walked Minhyun out of the store as he could see how upset he was getting.

"It's okay. It may not be his. It could be the kidnapper or the cashier. I wish we could've been there for him though..." Hyogi said with regret written all over his face.

"Hey, are you sure you two are okay being at the site...?" Jaehyun asked as he watched them exit.

"Minhyun needs a breather. Please watch him for me." Hyogi said before heading back inside.


	8. Chapter 6

Felix leaned against Woojin as the clans sat together in a meeting room. Shihyun happily teased Kyeongheon while everyone else waited for Johnny to arrive. Everyone heard the door open and was surprised to not see Johnny entering.

"You're..." Beomgyu whispered.

"The Seventh king, the Colorless king, Kim Jaemin..." Shihyun finished as he kept his eyes on him.

Johnny entered soon after then cleared his throat. He looked at Jaemin then quietly told him to take a seat. Jaemin sat down and Johnny did the same as well.

"Jaemin has decided to come out and work with us in place of his clansmen. He's worried about their mentality." Johnny explained.

"Wha? He mute like'is useless Minhyun?" Chan asked then received a hit from Woojin.

"I hate to admit it, but he's a lot more capable than he looks. Me and a few of my clansmen had the honors of seeing it first hand." Johnny replied as he briefly looked at his hand. "More importantly, we've identified the blood and found it to only belong to the cashier. Both his and Junghak's fingerprints were on the phone. We couldn't find a clue of the perp anywhere."

Shihyun glanced at Jaemin who kept his head down and stayed completely silent. He nudged Kyeongheon who gave him a suspicious look. Haknyeon observed them as Kyeongheon silently argued with his king.

"Shihyun..." Jaemin said without lifting his head. Everyone in the room now looked at Jaemin. Jaemin finally lifted his head and stared directly into Shihyun's eyes. "If you have something to say, speak up."

"I... I uh..." Shihyun stammered.

Everyone was surprised to see the ever bubbly Shihyun in a flustered state. Just what kind of power did Jaemin have that could make Shihyun waver?

"I just... I just wanted to know how you were doing..." Shihyun mumbled then hid behind Kyeongheon.

"Am I dreaming? Is Shihyun backing down?" Woojin asked with wide eyes.

"Shut up, asshole." Shihyun spat as he glared at Woojin.

"I'm fine, Shihyun. I don't know if either told you, but I recently got over a cold. I've been falling ill less lately." Jaemin said with a faint smile.

Beomgyu squinted his eyes at Jaemin who rested his head against the table again. He still couldn't believe he survived. He needed to find out how as his clansmen shouldn't have been able to do much.

"Anyway, continuing with our current and more pressing matter, we're looking into areas that Junghak described along with Strays. We hope to find them soon since now they know they've gotten in contact with us." Johnny said then rose from his seat. "Any questions, concerns, suggestions?"

"I have one." Hoyoung said as he looked around at everyone gathered. "We should all take a break and do something together. I know their lives are on the line, but if we're constantly tense, would we perform any better?"

Johnny sucked his teeth as he looked at Hoyoung and Minchan.

"You king has always been the party, easy going type. You aren't fit for the title "second strongest"." Johnny spat before leaving the room.

"I hate Johnny with a passion, but he has a point. It's the kind like you and your king that end up losing both the battle and war." Woojin said as he rose from his seat. "Lix, Chan."

They nodded then left the room with him. Hoyoung looked at the others and watched as Haknyeon and Juyeon got up and left as well. Shihyun and Kyeongheon stood up as well. Shihyun gently shook Jaemin who lifted his head and took in that everyone was leaving.

"I'll treat you to something bitter..." Shihyun whispered as he helped him out of his seat then out the door.

"In the end, it's just us huh?" Beomgyu said with a heavy sigh.

"Mr. Choi, I couldn't help but notice you were glaring at Mr. Kim... Did he do something to you?" Minchan asked curiously.

"Huh? Oh, no, no. There's nothing wrong. I just haven't seen him in ages. I thought him to be dead..." Beomgyu mumbled as he stared at the door.

✵ ✹ ✵ ✹

Shihyun swung his legs back and forth as Jaemin ate a bitter candy. Kyeongheon looked at Shihyun and wondered when he became so close to Jaemin, the Colorless king. He cleared his throat then pulled Shihyun off to the side.

"You better explain why you're getting handsy with your king." Shihyun said angrily.

"Since when have you been close to the Colorless king? We've never heard you mention him and Jooan accompanies you everywhere." Kyeongheon fussed.

"Know your place." Shihyun said with a stern look. "I order you to head back inside until I call for you."

Kyeongheon opened his mouth to speak then closed it. He knew better than to go against Shihyun. He had seen his king and Jooan outside one night. Jooan was bleeding a lot and breathing heavily while Shihyun remained unscathed. He didn't know what happened between them, but Jooan had eventually collapsed and he assumed passed out.

"Yes, sir." said Kyeongheon as he turned on his heel and headed back inside.

Jaemin watched Kyeongheon leave then looked at Shihyun.

"You're letting your nature show..." Jaemin muttered as he finished off the candy.

"Oh? Silly me!" Shihyun giggled as he took his seat beside Jaemin. "Kyeong is the most annoying clansman I have on staff! He's always so pessimistic. That's why I chose Jooan!"

"You try too hard... The First king is going to think something's up with you." Jaemin said with a yawn. "Though, he's already wary of me."

"Why? You haven't done anything wrong!" Shihyun pouted then held Jaemin's hands. "I'll back you up if he tries to hurt you guys."

"Shi..." Jaemin said in surprise.

"They all just left you there to die! Being one of the lower ranking kings, I know how it felt to be cast aside. I may seem airhead and unfeeling, but I knew I had to help you." Shihyun confessed then placed Jaemin's hands over his heart. "And I don't regret it in the slightest."

Jaemin gave him a small smile as a light blush tinted his face. After years of being isolated from everyone, it was the first time anyone who wasn't from his clan had showed him such kindness.

✵ ✹ ✵ ✹

Johnny sat in his office then heard Woojin enter without knocking. Classic Woojin.

"What." Johnny deadpanned as he started a new jigsaw.

"Can you just turn off your assholeness for a minute?" Woojin snapped as he slammed his palms against his desk. "There's something I can't tell the others, not even that fucking immortal First king."

"And you, a delinquent who hates me, feels more comfortable telling me?" asked Johnny with a raised eyebrow.

"You get shit done. Back to the topic, it's about our missing clansmen. One of my boys went snooping around and hasn't reported back to anyone for an entire day. Here's the location." said Woojin as he took out a map. "Lix!"

Felix quietly walked in and was soon by Woojin's side. Johnny kept his eyes on Felix as he placed his hand on the map and closed his eyes.

"Remember what I told you." Woojin said.

Felix lifted his hand and soon a red x mark appeared on the map. He looked at Woojin who gave his head a pat.

"It's not his exact location, but it's the general area he's in. My boys are too rowdy for this stealthy job." mumbled Woojin. "Use that information however you please. Lix."

Felix bowed to Johnny before following Woojin out of the room. He sighed then looked at the map. He hated a lot of things about Woojin, but he couldn't deny the slight admiration he felt with his information gathering skills.


	9. Chapter 7

Beomgyu noticed the Colorless, Red, Green and Gray clans hadn't arrived yet. Johnny entered the room then looked those present over.

"Hoyoung, Minchan. I've received word from your king that you're to report back to his side immediately. If you don't believe me, call him yourself." said Johnny as he took his seat.

Minchan texted Dongheon and confirmed they were relieved of their duties of helping Mr. Choi. Hoyoung looked at the First king then away.

"We'll be taking our leave then." said Hoyoung.

Taehyun watched as they left without another word. He looked at his king who seemed highly bothered by everything.

"First king, I mean no disrespect. You have done a lot for us. However, your lax behavior is atrocious. While you and those party freaks were relaxing, the rest of us got our hands dirty and focused on our real task. You have no sense of urgency. You'd be the last person on this planet NCity would think of relying on. Those Veris aren't an exception either, but at least they found something that was worth noting. First king, it's about time you've stepped down." Johnny lectured as he wasn't the only one fed up with Beomgyu's antics. "That or shape the fuck up. I don't know why such skilled people like Taehyun and Kai follow you. God forbid we face something life threatening. When was the last time you fought? Your treasured clansman could be dead or dying, yet you have time to stop and party. Think about it, First king."

Johnny turned on his heel and left. Hendery closed the door then followed after Johnny. He had heard everything. He understood why he hated the First king. For five years he's done nothing but sit holed up in his home doing nothing while they're constantly out and about protecting citizens and establishing order.

"Mr. Seo, I really feel honored being able to serve under you. I will never feel regret in my decision of becoming a part of NCity." Hendery said with sincerity.

Johnny stopped and so did Hendery.

"Hendery, don't think so highly of me. Even I have my nasty qualities." said Johnny before entering his office.

✵ ✹ ✵ ✹

Kai looked at the three of them and wondered how much longer they had. Gyehyeon was worried as well.

"You know, I thought Younghoon and Jooan would be here since we are... Guess they just wanted us..." Kai commented as he watched them writhe in pain. "Gyehyeon, can't you do something about their pain?"

"I'd have to touch them with my bare hands, but they're covered." Gyehyeon responded.

"Come this way, I'll help. A bit more... perfect." Kai said as he started to try taking off the gloves.

Doyoung watched as Kai and Gyehyeon did something hidden from his sight. He looked over at Jeongin who was unmoving. Junghak was pretty still as well. He weakly wormed over to Jeongin and nudged him with his head.

"Jeongin... are you awake...?" Doyoung asked quietly.

"I am..." Junghak responded instead.

Jeongin remained still. Doyoung could see dried blood all over his body. His body probably was in worse shape. He peeked over at Junghak then frowned. His arm looked broken.

"Do you need both hands?" Kai asked as he got one glove off.

"For it to work better, yes." he responded then noticed their moving bodies. "Doyoung! Don't worry, Kai's freeing my hands so I can heal you three."

"But doesn't it drain your stamina?" Doyoung asked weakly.

"You three could die like this. What's a little stamina loss?" replied Gyehyeon as he could feel the other glove coming off.

Kai finally got it off and Gyehyeon wasted no time scooting over to them and starting with Jeongin.

"How long would it take to completely heal him?" Doyoung asked.

"An hour. To a stable condition would take no longer than fifteen minutes." Gyehyeon replied.

"Fully heal him then do Junghak. They need it more." said Doyoung as he lied on his back. "We can only hope Junghak's message got through to them."

"I tried my best... I don't know how they found me so far away..." Junghak said as he thought about it. "The only people with internet and public influence are NCity and F.S.S."

"So you're saying one of them purposefully put your face out there and maybe offered a reward?" Gyehyeon asked as he could feel Jeongin's vitals getting back on track.

"It's the only logical explanation. The general public knows better not to mess with clans. Only clans mess with clans. We can ween out NCity because we strive for structure, peace and order. Johnny wouldn't do something underhanded like this." Doyoung said as he pieced it together. "But why F.S.S...?"

"Who knows... Maybe they're getting fed up with certain people." Kai said as he glanced at Jeongin.

"What are you trying to insinuate, First king's trash?" Doyoung spat.

"Excuse me but you're in no position to get snarky with me. If it wasn't for me, you and that stupid Red would be nearing death in a few days, no, hours if the people who captured us ignored you both again." Kai countered angrily.

"Everyone, let's calm down. Remember our situation. We need to work together for now and get help. Notify someone where we are." Gyehyeon said softly.

"You're like a breath of fresh air, Yeon..." Junghak said as he looked up at Gyehyeon.

"I'm just trying to make sure none of us go mad. The moment we do is the beginning of our demise." Gyehyeon explained as he specifically looked at Doyoung and Kai.

Jeongin groaned in pain then opened his eyes. He looked around and absorbed information.

"Welcome back to the living. We missed you." Gyehyeon said sweetly as he switched from his chest to his head. "Just relax, I'm healing you."

"Wait, doesn't that... drain you...?" Jeongin asked slowly.

"If it means I can save a life, I don't really care." he responded cheerfully.

"You really remind me of the Gold king, but sweeter." Junghak said quietly.

The others nodded in agreement. Gyehyeon became flustered and lost concentration. Jeongin felt the pain almost immediately.

"Ah! Sorry!" apologized Gyehyeon as he went back to treating him.

✵ ✹ ✵ ✹

"Have they found us out yet?" a voice asked from high up in their seat.

"No, sir. I've been uneasy since Junghak escaped and removing Younghoon and Jooan from the room. Out of the five of them, Doyoung is really the main threat because of his intellect. In terms of power, Jeongin would take the top." a voice responded while kneeling.

"Use any means necessary to throw them off the scent. We're so close to our goal. Once we get the orb, I'll be the only king!" said the first voice before laughing loudly.

"Sir, the Fourth king has requested an audience with you. How shall we respond?" another voice asked.

The person sat back and folded their hands in front of them.

"Give him a warm welcome." they said with a smile.


	10. Chapter 8

Hendery, Mark, Jungwoo and Jisung surrounded Johnny from the front, behind and on the sides. None of them had visited the F.S.S headquarters before. A person stepped out of the shadows and kneeled.

"Welcome to our headquarters. Mr. Sohn is expecting you." said the person who rose from kneeling to lead the way.

"Heo Hyunjoon, alias Hwall. Big fan of Kim Younghoon and the king himself. You've taken down any and every opponent sent your way." said Johnny as they walked up the massive flight of stairs.

"They don't call you the technical nerd for nothing." Hwall said with a laugh.

Hendery moved to draw his sword but was stopped by Johnny. He let out a sigh and kept moving. Hwall pushed open the double doors and led them inside.

"Mr. Sohn, they have arrived." Hwall shouted as he knelt.

The lights turned on and showed the Green king descending in his seat. Johnny looked upon him with disdain. The Green king was more full of himself than the idiotic Red king.

"To what do I owe the pleasure of seeing you again, Johnjohn?" the Green king asked cutely.

"Zip it, pint size. Your men have been working diligently, yet you haven't lifted a finger to do anything. Though, the same can be said about the Gold king." Johnny said with crossed arms. "Aren't you concerned about the well being of Younghoon, Eric?"

Eric sighed then descended the stairs to his throne. He tsked as he walked over to Johnny.

"Stuck up and high strung as usual. Don't you get tired of it?" Eric asked as he had Johnny's clansmen taken outside the room. "Don't you get tired of being looked down upon by Woojin? Yeonho? Beomgyu even?"

"Get to your point." fussed Johnny impatiently.

"My men are strong and capable enough to not need my interference. Plus, I don't like the other kings. Especially the First king. Oh, I don't like you too." said Eric enthusiastically. "And so you're probably wondering why I welcomed you so nicely? I'm not barbaric like those idiot Reds."

"One thing we can agree on." muttered Johnny. "Either way, we need your network influence to find our missing men. Haknyeon and Juyeon said they couldn't do anything without permission."

"Permission granted." said Eric with a smile. "Is that all you came for?"

"Yes. I'll take my leave now." Johnny said as he turned on his heel.

"Please, don't ever come back. I can't guarantee your next visit here will be pleasant." said Eric with ice cold eyes.

Hwall closed the door then knelt. Juyeon, Haknyeon, and Changmin joined him on the floor. Eric glanced to the side with a smile as Younghoon stepped out from the shadows and knelt in front of the other four.

"Everything is running just as expected. Continue to dance in the palm of my hands until..." said Eric as he looked at his hands before balling them into fists. "...I destroy you in one fell swoop."

Footsteps were heard and Shihyun appeared from another room. He looked at the Green clan then felt protective arms wrap around him.

"Is there a meeting or something?" Shihyun asked through a yawn as Jooan happily clung to him.

"The Fourth king paid us a little visit. Little does he know that he's the most important pawn in this game we're playing." said Eric as he stepped forward, standing right in front of Younghoon. "Everything will be ours once we get the Gold clan isolated from the others."

"Don't hurt Jaemin and his clansmen or else I'll reveal everything." said Shihyun sternly.

"I know. You and your weird love for Jaemin. Why did you bother saving his life?" Eric asked full of curiosity.

"I know what it's like being treated as the weakest king. I hate being treated that way. Everyone is strong in their own way. Why do we have a stupid power ranking system?" Shihyun complained loudly. "It's stupid! It's biased! We need a change. I'm not saying we all have to be best friends and sing Kumbaya, but we should at least help other clans in need."

Eric smiled softly. Under all that fake bubbly exterior and harsh interior, Shihyun was the softest and most sensitive king he's met in his lifetime so far. It hurt him slightly knowing that he'd betray such a gentle person to achieve his own personal goal.

✵ ✹ ✵ ✹

Taehyun looked at Beomgyu who sat on the roof in silence. It would be concerning if his king didn't take a hard blow from what the Blue king had said the other day. Most of what he said was right. His king became a recluse of his own will whereas Jaemin was forced. There were times within the span of five years that others had asked for help. Beomgyu simply ignored them saying they're strong once their hearts are one with their clansmen.

Taehyun could see the truth in what his king said, but a demonstration probably would've been best before saying it. Now all kings hated him except Mr. Ju, his oldest friend.

"Taehyun, do you think it's time I've stepped down?" Beomgyu asked quietly.

"I think you're an amazing king, sir. Mr. Seo did make points, but simply giving up because he pointed them out makes you weak. Owning your mistakes and flaws and doing something about it and learning from it makes you strong." said Taehyun, letting his thoughts pour out. "Mr. Seo and the others may hate you, but see it from this perspective. Mr. Seo could've made his speech short and simply called you, excuse my language, a shit king and left it at that. He took the time to explain and point things out. He wants you to do better."

Beomgyu remained silent as he thought it over. Taehyun hoped he didn't step out of line. He was simply mimicking what Kai would've done.

"You have a point. I've just got to do better." said Beomgyu as he lifted his head high. "And we can start by helping with searching for the areas Junghak described."

Taehyun smiles happily to see his king back in high spirits.


	11. Chapter 9

Younghoon quietly worked on their separation from the Gray clan, making sure they had a place to hide out while everything went down. It was Eric's special request only made know to him. Younghoon was Eric's first clansmen. They were friends for a few years to top it off.

"Younghoon." a voice called out as footsteps echoed in the quiet room.

He instantly switched to mundane work as Jooan sauntered over.

"What? I'm busy planning the heist." Younghoon muttered as he looked over the Veri headquarters.

"I'm well aware what your self centered king is up to. Does he really know what he's doing?" Jooan asked as he wrapped his arms around Younghoon's neck. "Can he really control the orb?"

"I have faith in him. You should focus on protecting your own king." replied Younghoon as he finished devising their distraction, entry and getaway. "It's not often Eric cares about someone's wellbeing."

Jooan hummed as he looked over the plans. The only thing left was to isolate Veri so they couldn't call for backup from the other clans.

"You know, I have a great idea for separating the clans. It's better to use both inside and outside forces." said Jooan before leaving the room.

It wasn't known to many how much of a two face Jooan was. The difference of when he was around his king paled in comparison to how he was when he wasn't. Younghoon was intrigued by that.

✵ ✹ ✵ ✹

Eric quietly played video games then heard a knock. He muttered a "come in".

"Eric." Younghoon called out as he knelt before him.

"You don't have to kneel when it's just us, Hoon. You know this." Eric said without glancing at him.

"I may be your closest friend and ranked higher than everyone else, but in the end, I'm still a clansman and you are king." replied Younghoon while still kneeling. "I came to report about infiltration plans. I made many modifications and ran tests to get us to the highest possible percentage of a success."

"And that is?" Eric asked.

"With the current plan I developed, 63%. However, that sixty three could easily rise to 86% if we cut out Carmine and take a different route." Younghoon explained. "What do you wish to do?"

"Get Carmine packed two days before the heist. Send Hwall and Changmin with them. I can't afford to fail this mission. Come up with whatever lie is necessary to get them on that truck." Eric said, finally pausing his game to look at Younghoon.

"Very well." said Younghoon, bowing before leaving.

"Hoon." Eric called out.

"Yes, my king?" Younghoon asked with his hand on the knob.

"I love you." said Eric before returning to his game.

Younghoon smiled softly before leaving the room. It was a thing they did when they wanted the other to know how appreciative they felt but didn't know how to put it in words. He was glad to be able to be by Eric's side like this.

✵ ✹ ✵ ✹

Hoyoung sat quietly then glanced at Dongheon. Everyone looked up to him and Gyehyeon. Everyone wanted to strive to be like them. They were that amazing. Minchan exhaled loudly, tired from being in constant concentration.

"Dongheon is so cool... I see why Mr. Jo trusts him so much..." Minchan whispered as he stared at Dongheon.

"Ah, it looks like I've stumbled upon a training session. Tell me Dongheon, how is it going?" Yeonho asked cheerfully.

"These two can't focus. It's impossible to train them." Dongheon said without breaking form or concentration.

Minchan winced as it hit home hard. He knew he wasn't suited to training like this. He had to move, be active like Strays. Sometimes he wondered why he became a Veri.

"Minchan, if you want to leave, you're free to do so. Just remember, you can never come back if you do." said Yeonho with a smile.

Minchan could see right through his king's fake smile. The smile was more of a "friendly" warning.

"King, I wish that you do not misunderstand. I have no intention of leaving your side, and I never plan to. Dongheon's way of training just isn't for me, that's all, sir." Minchan said with his head lowered.

"What's stopping you from training on your own? You're a capable guy." Yeonho said as he placed his hands on Dongheon's head. "Though, if you can't reach a certain degree of zen, I'll have to dub you a failure. You know what happens to failures." said Yeonho before leaving.

Hoyoung looked at Minchan who kept his head lowered. He closed his eyes and went back to concentrating. He couldn't do a thing for Minchan. Dongheon finally opened his eyes and stared straight at Minchan.

"Walk with me." said Dongheon as he rose from his spot.

Minchan looked up and pointed at himself. Dongheon walked on ahead. He briefly panicked then scrambled to catch up.

"Why did you join Veri?" he asked as they walked down the windowed hall.

"I was saved by you all when I was little. I don't remember who specifically, but I certainly remember the masks and robes you all wore. So I wanted to show my thanks and trained hard everyday since then to get strong." Minchan said then looked out the window. "I wanted to be able to protect other young kids like me back then..."

Dongheon smiled softly as they continued to walk around. Minchan looked at him and felt off put by his serious face.

"Your reasoning is admirable, but foolish. You were eager to join us, not knowing what we actually do. I've watched you from day one with Gyehyeon and we both decided Veri isn't the place for you. Veris are prompted to keep to a certain state of mind and if after half a year one hasn't reached it, you're forced to leave." Dongheon explained bluntly. "Half a year is almost upon you. You have three options. Achieve the level we all strive for, convince our king to keep you on board or leave and figure out what to do with your life."

"Dongheon..." Minchan whispered, feeling hurt.

"If you want my opinion, quit. You're wasting your time here." responded Dongheon before walking away.

Minchan lowered his head and willed himself not to cry. Was there really no other way for him to stay? If he couldn't achieve the mental level in the few months he's already been here, then there wasn't any way he'd get it in two weeks. He already told his king he'd never leave his side, so leaving was never an option. How could he convince his king?

Hoyoung looked around then spotted Minchan curled into himself on the floor. He hurried over with worry all over his face.

"What happened? What did Dongheon do to you?" he asked as he could hear him sniffling and holding back sobs.

"It's nothing..." Minchan replied as he sat up.

"Lies. You're crying for pete's sake. What did he say?" Hoyoung pressed.

"He asked me why I joined... I told him to help kids like me back then. He agreed my reason was admirable, but then started talking down to me... He said I didn't fit here. I only have two weeks left to make a decision between achieving the mental state, convincing our king or just leaving..." Minchan said as he wiped his eyes.

Hoyoung patted his back as he kept quiet. There wasn't any way to comfort him. Minchan wasn't the first and he certainly wasn't going to be the last.

"Maybe you should leave..." Hoyoung said quietly. "No one has convinced our king in the past. Speaking to him alone... he's a different person."

Minchan looked at Hoyoung who's face was sullen. Was it really that hopeless?

"I'm going to at least try. If I can't convince him in the end, I'll leave." said Minchan as he stood up. "Thanks, Hoyoung."

"Minchan..." he called out as he walked away.

✵ ✹ ✵ ✹

Johnny put the last piece into his puzzle then waited. It never came. He sighed then took it apart. Doyoung needed to be found. His absent presence grew bigger by the day. Hendery entered the room with bright eyes.

"Sir, we think we've found where Mr. Kim is being held." Hendery said with a smile. "Shall we notify the other clans?"

"Tell them this: We've possibly found a clue to their whereabouts and we'd appreciate if each clan sent a representative to investigate." Johnny said.

"So, we're not all going to storm in?" asked Hendery quietly.

"We are, they're not." Johnny said. "We'll be sending them to a fake location. Our mission is to bring Doyoung back. We're not a charity."

Hendery nodded and hurried away to make the announcement. He turned his seat towards the window and sighed. He never intended to help the other clans from the start. By the time the realize it, it'll be too late.

Hendery hurried into the main area and shouted for everyone to quiet down and listen. The rest of NCity listened and widened their eyes in shock. Were they really going to go through with such a plan?

"What if the Reds retaliate? The other clans aren't much of a threat really..." Mark said weakly.

"What do you mean? Do you know how dangerous those Veris and F.S.S are?" Jeno said with wide eyes.

"Our king's decisions are absolute. If you have a problem with it, I suggest you either suck it up or leave NCity. We don't house cowards." Hendery said sternly.

The others talked amongst themselves before ultimately deciding to obey orders.

"Jeno, I'm assigning you the mission of leading the other clans astray. Jaehyun, Jungwoo, you both will tail them and get Jeno out of harms way before they realize it's a setup." said Hendery before taking his leave.

"He really reminds me of Mr. Kim..." Yangyang said as he watched him leave.

"Do you think they're siblings?" Jisung asked.

"Maybe they're lovers." Jaemin chirped.

"You think Mr. Kim is into men? What kind of idiot are you?" Jeno fussed.

"Let's get back to work everyone. Yangyang, send out the notice. Everyone else, prepare for the raid." Jaehyun said with his hands on his hips.

✵ ✹ ✵ ✹

Hyogi repositioned the pillow then looked at Minhyun who kept his eyes on their king. Jaemin was always less active when Junghak wasn't home. Hyogi heard a familiar beep then hurried over to their shared computer.

"Min, they found the possible location and want a representative. I'll go, you stay with our king." Hyogi said as he fully read the message.

"One representative..." Minhyun mumbled as he read the message. "Don't go."

"Huh? Why not?" asked Hyogi.

Jaemin stirred then looked at his clansmen. He walked over to them and looked at the message.

"Don't bother. It's just a clue, it's not definite..." Jaemin said then moved back to his spot at the table.

Minhyun nodded. Hyogi looked at the message again before deleting it. He looked back at his king with a small smile. He was going to bring Junghak home and bring back the life in Jaemin.

✵ ✹ ✵ ✹

Woojin wiped his eye as he finished laughing. Felix quietly looked at him along with the rest of the clan.

"Here I thought that self centered king was shady." Woojin mumbled before snickering.

He patted Felix's head which caused the other to faintly smile.

"Delete it. Don't go anywhere unless I tell you to." said Woojin before feeding Felix. "It's better to watch chaos unfold from the sidelines."

"Ya sayin' tha jerk done sent us a fake letah?" Chan asked angrily.

"Exactly that." Woojin said with a shrug. "Open Lix..."

Jisung frowned as he couldn't stand all the attention Felix was getting. He's never done anything to benefit the clan. Seungmin could see the jealousy written all over Jisung's face. He tapped Minho who also internally laughed.

"Jealous?" Seungmin asked.

"Wish that was you being dotted on?" Minho added.

"What a sad life..." Seungmin said.

"You must live." Minho finished before they erupted into laughter.

"You're both annoying..." Jisung muttered.

Everyone in Strays agreed how annoying Seungminho was. They were twins that got a kick out of everyone's failure and misery. Everyone would've had them kicked out if it weren't for their amazing fighting abilities whether it was individually or dual. Felix glanced at Jisung and caused him to freeze. He looked away and back at Woojin who held him close. Jisung couldn't wait for the day he could wipe that blank look off of his face.


	12. Chapter 10

**~Time skip: 1 week~**

The day of the raid was upon them. Hendery made sure everyone was in their respective positions before heading out. Johnny watched from afar before approaching Hendery.

"I trust you selected the right people for the job." Johnny said without looking at him.

"Yes. I assure you failure will not be an option." said Hendery, gripping the hilt of his sword.

"Let us go and get Doyoung." said Johnny as he walked away.

✵ ✹ ✵ ✹

Jeno counted the clans. His clan and Morse. No one else had come. Did they team up behind Mr. Seo's back?

"Hey, where is everyone? Are you representing your clan or all others?" Jeno asked as they walked.

"Huh? Just my clan. Do you know why no one is here?" Taehyun asked.

"No. Looks like it's just going to be us. Should be enough as long as we lie low." said Jeno glancing around for Jaehyun and Jungwoo.

They arrived by the abandoned building and Jeno signaled for him to follow his lead. Taehyun looked around, wondering why it was empty. Suddenly a heavy blow landed itself on the back of his neck, knocking him out instantly. Jungwoo cracked his neck as he cheerful swung the weapon around. Jaehyun carried Taehyun into a room they prepared to prevent the others from escaping.

Jeno looked at Jaehyun who blocked the door off, Jungwoo assisting.

"He'll assume it was the kidnappers. No suspicion will befall you." said Jungwoo with a creepy smile.

"Shut up. You would've killed him if I wasn't staring you down." fussed Jaehyun as they walked away from the building.

"Haha, I would..." muttered Jungwoo with murderous eyes. "I only listen to you."

Jeno laughed nervously as Jungwoo became clingy with Jaehyun. It was hard for him to believe Jaehyun had become friends with NCity's official murderous weirdo. No one but Johnny and Jungwoo knew why he was allowed to join as their mantra was to uphold structure and order when his kind did the opposite.

"Jungwoo, please we're in public!" Jaehyun fussed as Jungwoo had started exploring with his hands.

"Um... Jaehyun...?" Jeno squeaked out as Jungwoo squealed happily in Jaehyun's chokehold.

"Yeah? What's up?" he replied as they arrived in front of the car.

"What's your relationship with Jungwoo...?" he asked as he glanced at Jungwoo who had settled down.

"I'm not sure either, but I have no other choice but to accept this duty. He refuses to let others approach him. I'm sure it's done purposely just to keep me around." Jaehyun explained as he started the car. "He's not a bad guy, just made wrong choices."

✵ ✹ ✵ ✹

Johnny walked down the stairs with Hendery protecting him from attacks. Just how far down did they put them? He dodged attacks and retaliated with hardly any effort, knocking them out cold.

"Someone up ahead said they found some torture like rooms." said Hendery. "Shall we hurry?"

"Certainly." replied Johnny before taking off at top speed.

They reached the bottom floor then knocked out the guards waiting by a door.

"This one." Hendery said as he opened it.

There on the floor lied all clans' right hands. Hendery ran over to Doyoung and cut him free from his restraints. Hendery carried him back over to Johnny who looked him over. Johnny took Doyoung from his arms and held him close.

"I missed you..." Johnny whispered as they left the room.

Hendery looked at Johnny and felt a small tug at his heart. Things would soon go back to normal. He wouldn't personally report to Johnny anymore. He looked away with a dissatisfied smile. Hendery envied Doyoung. The rest of NCity started to gather around them as they made their way out.

Everyone started to cheer once the unconscious Doyoung was placed safely in the truck. Some started to cry. They had finally gotten him back. The vans and truck drove off before they could be pursued.

Hendery looked at Johnny who touched Doyoung as if he was fine china. What exactly was their relationship? Doyoung started to stir and noticed things weren't the same. He saw...

"NCity...? You finally found us!" Doyoung said as he sat up and looked around. "Where are the others?"

"Their clans can fetch them themselves. We aren't a charity." Johnny said ice cold.

"Johnny!" Doyoung seethed. "Turn this truck around or else I'll go straight back to them."

Johnny kept silent. Doyoung shook his head then looked at the others. They kept still as he walked over to the doors.

"Mr. Kim! The truck is moving!" Hendery blurted out.

Doyoung unlatched the doors then was stopped by Johnny. Hendery's heart tugged again.

"Tell them to turn around." Johnny said as he stared Doyoung down.

The others pulled the doors in and latched the door as they continued to stare at each other in silence. Doyoung finally smiled and gave Johnny's cheek a gentle pat.

"You can't hide your big heart. Not from me." Doyoung said then looked at Hendery. "I hope Johnny didn't give you any trouble."

"Mr. Seo could never! I felt I was the burden and couldn't live up to your example." Hendery quickly with his head lowered.

Yangyang's phone rang and he quickly answered it.

"What!? Why don't you use Jungwoo? Wake him up you idiot! Hello? Jeno!? Jeno!" Yangyang shouted then realized the call had disconnected.

"What's going on...?" Doyoung asked.

"We shouldn't go back. Veri attacked our men." Yangyang explained.

Doyoung couldn't believe it. Something had to have egged them on. He looked at Johnny who avoided eye contact. The truck turned around once more, heading back for NCity.

✵ ✹ ✵ ✹

Dongheon and a few others hurriedly dispelled rumors and created explanations for sudden incidents. Minchan looked into the room and saw them working, his king quietly resting on his sofa. No one knew what was going on nor why the upper clansmen holed themselves up with their king.

Dongheon left his spot then headed towards his direction, so he hid. He passed by then stopped a little ways.

"Don't step foot outside." said Dongheon before hurrying ahead.

Minchan followed him. He wanted to know what was going on. He wanted to do something to help, since his time was already limited. He watched Dongheon from behind a wall as he put in a password for the door before going inside. He hurried towards the door just as Dongheon stepped inside.

The door closed on his fingers, but he was more determined to keep the door open to enter. He stepped inside and saw all sorts of machinery before spotting Dongheon hovering in a certain spot. The PA system cracked to life.

"This is Dongheon, one of the upper clansmen. This is a code Moondust. Do not leave the building for any reason at all. I repeat, do not leave this building. If you know any Veris that have left, quickly contact them to come back." said Dongheon before moving his hand off the button. He turned around and was startled by the sight of Minchan. "How did you get in?"

"Dongheon, what's going on? Why are we going on lockdown? What can I do to help?" Minchan asked, not giving him a chance to yell at him. "I don't care how grueling it is. If there's anything I can do to help you all, I'll do it!"

"Idiot. Willpower won't get help you in the slightest. Just be a good boy and stay put. You'll only cause us more problems than we already have." said Dongheon with a scornful look.

Minchan stood his ground. He wasn't going to back down. Dongheon noticed this and hated that he had to take drastic measures.

"I'm putting my life on the line, Dongheon. I'll take my life if I start to see a problem arising from me sniffing around." said Minchan, not knowing how much he could try and convince him.

"Putting your life on the line. How noble. But..." said Dongheon before knocking Minchan out cold. "We don't need a talent like you dying on us..."

Yeonho opened his eyes then looked at Dongheon who worked with an unconscious Minchan resting on his lap. He smiled softly before stretching out and making his descent.

"I thought you wanted to throw him out?" Yeonho asked curiously.

"Not many people can confidently say they'll put their lives on the line to help find an inkling of a clue. They usually do for something bigger, like protecting you, sir." Dongheon said as comments continued to pour in. "His fighting spirit is immense."

"Are you going to personally look after him then?" Yeonho asked as he ran his hand through Dongheon's hair.

"Yes." he replied, gently touching his king's hand before moving it off his head.

✵ ✹ ✵ ✹

Doyoung watched in horror as they were wheeled in one by one, Jungwoo looking the worst out of the three. He looked at Johnny who shook his head. He didn't have any theories to make of what just happened.

"Mr. Kim!" Hendery shouted as he hurried over. "It doesn't seem like they were targeting us specifically. There have been reports in other areas that Veri had appeared and attacked. I had a few of our men contact the gold king but he hasn't given a response."

"It seems like he has some rotten apples, doesn't he Johnny?" Doyoung asked.

"We all get them at some point. How you deal with it is what defines what kind of king you are." said Johnny as he walked away.

Doyoung looked at Hendery then pulled him off to the side.

"Drive me back to that place. Don't protest, don't say anything. Just drive." said Doyoung as he led Hendery out of NCity. "You're all serving under an idiot king. Remember that."

"What do you mean?" asked Hendery as he got in the car.

"He knows I'm right, that we should've gotten the others, but he only cared about my safety at that moment." said Doyoung as Hendery drove. "We'll prioritize getting Junghak, Jeongin and Gyehyeon. I don't trust Jooan, Kai and Younghoon."

✵ ✹ ✵ ✹

Gyehyeon breathed haggardly as he hid in a cramped space with Jeongin. He didn't have time to grab Junghak. Jeongin finally started to awaken and took in his surroundings.

"What's going on?" he whispered as he held onto Gyehyeon.

"NCity came and trashed the place. I would've brought Junghak, but there was limited time. We're almost out." Gyehyeon whispered back.

A guard passed by them. Jeongin started to recognize the area. He tapped Gyehyeon and whispered into his ear. They nodded then started to quietly make their way down the hall and towards a metal wall. Jeongin placed his hand against it and it melted instantly, revealing poorly repaired holes. This was the path he created long ago. They got through with erase and broke into sprints. Neither thought of stopping until they were far enough away.


	13. Chapter 11

Younghoon dodged as Eric had thrown a chair. It was obvious the news wasn't pleasing to his ears.

"How could they get away? They weren't supposed to get away!" Eric shrieked before marching over to Younghoon and seizing him by the collar. "How did they escape!?"

"It seems they took off after the raid. I apologize for sleeping on duty." said Younghoon, uncaring of Eric hurting him and wrinkling his clothes.

Eric let him go. Doyoung was supposed to be the only one. Now he had Jeongin and Gyehyeon to worry about. Younghoon kept his head lowered as he waited for directions.

"Bring those two back. I don't care how nor what state they're in. They can't ruin my plans. Relocate Junghak and Kai. They're definitely coming back." said Eric as he took his seat.

"I've already done so. Should we send Juyeon and Hyunjoon after them?" Younghoon asked as that specific team needed permission to be released. "Merciless."

"Merciless... do it. Capture anyone who witnessed anything and do away with them if necessary." said Eric as he rubbed his temples.

"My, cruel as always." said Shihyun, coming out of the shadows. "Jooan knows where they are, don't you Jooan?"

Jooan nodded as he nuzzled his cheek against Shihyun. Younghoon stole a glance at Jooan. Two faced really suited him.

"Where? Make our search easier." Eric asked.

"I'll tell you, but I'm going to need a favor." said Shihyun with a innocent smile with evil hidden behind it.

"Here we go. What impossible task do you want us to do?" Eric asked, knowing how ridiculous they could get.

"One of my clansmen that were snooping around Stray for you was caught. Get him back for me." Shihyun said as he scratched under Jooan's chin. "Do that and I'll give you info."

"Younghoon. Send Haknyeon, now." said Eric with a look of disdain.

Younghoon nodded then left the room. Jooan shook his leg as Shihyun petted him before sending him off with Younghoon.

"What kind of relationship do you two have?" asked Eric, slightly disgusted.

"Master and pet. Though, I'm aware of his true personality. I'd like to see it someday, so I purposely treat him badly in hopes of seeing it." said Shihyun as he sucked on his lollipop.

"Sounds like sex play to me." Eric sneered as he played video games.

"I can say for certain Jooan is pretty good with his mouth. Another reason I keep him around." said Shihyun as he ascended the steps to Eric's throne. He leaned in close to the point Eric could feel his words. "You should consider unwinding a bit, since you'll be ruling once we get those little shits back."

Eric looked at Shihyun who put his lollipop in his mouth before taking it back. This was a side of Shihyun not many knew. In fact, Eric was the only king to find out.

"Shihyun, if you're trying to seduce me, stop. We're both busy people." said Eric, remembering the sweet taste of the lolli.

"Ah, don't be such a limp dick." said Shinhyun as he sat himself on Eric's lap then leaned back. "We can have fun in other ways."

✵ ✹ ✵ ✹

Woojin entered the bar and everyone immediately started to greet him. Jisung moved to light Woojin's cigarette then felt someone bump him out the way and onto the floor then offer him his usual drink. He glared at Chan before seeing Woojin extend his hand out to him.

"You okay, Ji?" Woojin asked.

Jisung looked at him, feeling as if he was dreaming. Woojin was talking to him. He took Woojin's hand, his blush deepening. Their hands felt as if they were made for each other. Felix stepped out from the back then noticed Woojin had come back. He saw Jisung holding his hand. He turned around and headed back. If Woojin saw him, he'd leave Jisung in the blink of an eye.

"I'm okay... I feel like I'm in heaven..." Jisung said subconsciously forgetting to let go of Woojin's hand.

"Ji, my hand." Woojin muttered.

Jisung came back to his senses and quickly pulled away, causing him to stumbled and bump into the table behind him. Seungminho laughed quietly as Woojin sat himself at the bar while Jisung collected himself. Seungmin walked over to him followed by Minho.

"You just looked..." Seungmin said.

"Like a clown!" Minho finished.

"You're so obvious, Jisung." said Seungmin.

"I bet he's contemplating how to reject you." added Minho.

"I don't have time for this..." Jisung said, marching out of the bar.

Felix poked his head out then approached Woojin. Woojin looked then gave him a soft smile. Felix liked Woojin and the attention, but he couldn't stand seeing Jisung suffer because of him. Though, there wasn't much he could do as Woojin made it obvious he was smitten for him.

"Woojin." Felix called out.

It wasn't often people heard Felix speak, so whenever he did, everyone clammed up.

"Yeah?" he replied as he finished his drink.

"Do you have romantic feelings for me?" asked Felix quietly.

Only Woojin had heard. He blinked in confusion. He had no idea where that thought came from. Was he mistaking his kindness for affection?

"No. Why do you ask, Lix?" Woojin asked curiously.

"You go beyond what's necessary. Everyone can attest to it." Felix said, looking at Stray members.

He looked back at them. A few nodded, not sure what they're agreeing to, but trusted Felix.

"Don't think so much on it. There's some sweets in the back right? Let's share." said Woojin as he headed to the back.

Felix looked at the others and gestured for them to keep quiet. He left.

✵ ✹ ✵ ✹

Minhyun shot up in a panic. Hyogi was busy surfing the web while Jaemin slept. He clutched his heart as the dream felt too vivid for his liking. He crawled over to his king then gently shook him. Jaemin lifted his head and looked Minhyun over. He lifted his arm and Minhyun had wedged himself close as he lowered it.

"Oh, you're awake, Jaemin. You haven't eaten in a while." said Hyogi before rushing off to the kitchen.

"What was it, Hyun..." Jaemin asked as he stroked his hair.

"Tokyo Metropolis... big explosion... multicolored monster..." muttered Minhyun as he shook at the memory.

Hyogi came back with food then started to feed Jaemin. Minhyun looked at Hyogi then felt his tears pool over. Both looked at him with worry. He was an emotional person, but seemed really distressed this time around. Minhyun wiped his tears as the image of Hyogi dematerializing into white particles kept playing in his mind. He never wanted to have that dream again.

✵ ✹ ✵ ✹

Minchan sat silently beside Dongheon. He couldn't move even if he wanted to.

"The attacks have long since stopped, but we can't find any clues." a Veri said with a sigh.

"We interrogated every Veri that went out that day, and they're all clean." another said.

"We were framed." Dongheon said. Yeonho opened his eyes and looked at Dongheon. "Someone was trying to sully our name. It's impossible to get our uniforms without joining and even then we take them back when people leave. I'll get NCity to investigate this."

Hoyoung burst through the door with worry written on his face. Everyone waited for him to speak.

"NCity just send us a message. They're cutting ties with us. We can't rely on them anymore." Hoyoung said out of breath.

Dongheon looked at Yeonho who kept his eyes on the ceiling.

"Try Stray." said Yeonho.

Dongheon typed up a message then hit send. He frowned even more.

"Blocked, sir." Dongheon replied.

"Well isn't this quite the predicament. Our only option left is F.S.S." said Yeonho, feeling cornered due to having to rely on F.S.S.

"Should we?" Dongheon asked, knowing his king's uneasiness.

"Yes." said Yeonho, unaware of their demise approaching.

✵ ✹ ✵ ✹

Hyunjoon and Juyeon tossed them into separate cells. This time, no one could escape. They gave each other a nod then headed back upstairs to report to Eric.

Eric spun around in his suspended throne then heard a knock before the doors opened.

"We've retrieved the runaways. They were hiding right where the Gray king said they were." Juyeon said.

"We brought them back alive, but badly injured." said Hyunjoon.

"Good work." said Eric as he lowered his throne.

They bowed before leaving. Younghoon entered carrying a tablet.

"The Gold king has sent a message. Would you like me to read it or would you prefer to read it yourself?" asked Younghoon.

"Read it to me." Eric replied as he played a game.

"He is in a pitiful situation and needs our connection with the internet to search for a culprit." said Younghoon.

"Little does he know he just asked said culprit for help. Where's Changmin? I need to thank him for his work." said Eric, putting his console down.

Younghoon walked over to Eric and carried him in his arms. Eric kept silent as he wrapped his arms around his neck. Members of F.S.S. greeted them as they walked to where Changmin resided.

"Your lips are pinker than usual today. Did you have sweets the day before?" Younghoon asked as they descended the stairs.

"Perhaps. Does it matter?" asked Eric, having flashbacks of the things Shihyun did.

"No. Just making conversation." said Younghoon.

They finally arrived at Changmin's door. Younghoon put Eric down before knocking on the door. Changmin opened the door and immediately kneeled.

"Stand. I came to thank you for your hardwork with the Veri uniform look alikes." said Eric with a smile.

"Eson helped as well. He left with his king though." said Changmin. "He has a sharp eye for details."

"Remind me to thank him as well." Eric said then patted Changmin on the shoulder. "Your confinement has been slashed in half for such good work."

Changmin thanked him then had the door closed in front of him. Younghoon locked the door then followed Eric.

"He has great talent, Eric. How much longer will you keep him confined? Are you still bitter about his mistake?" asked Younghoon, still wondering how he got his hands on sweets.

"Just until we strike Veri's headquarters. He has to take the king and his men to the appointed spot." said Eric as they climbed the stairs.

"The Gray king... what did you two do?" Younghoon asked as the entered the large room.

"Why do you ask?" Eric asked as he sat on his throne.

"I'm asking as your long time friend. Shihyun and Jooan are crafty individuals just by themselves." said Younghoon as he walked up to Eric. "If he defiled you in any way, I'll strike him down, no hesitation."

Eric patted Younghoon's cheek then gave him a peck on the lips.

"Your love for me is amazing..." Eric whispered. "Don't worry about him. At the end of the day it'll be us who rule this country."

✵ ✹ ✵ ✹

Jooan held Shihyun's hand as his king quietly sucked on his lollipop. Jooan kept his eyes on him, looking for any distinctive movements.

"Are we going to visit Mr. Kim, the Colorless king?" Jooan asked as they crossed against the light, cars honking at them for being idiots.

"You know me well. I want to say my farewells before we storm headquarters." Shihyun replied.

Jooan frowned as he knew Carmine wasn't going to be assisting in any way shape or form. Younghoon made him swear to secrecy. Though. whether Eric rules the country or not didn't matter to him. He just wanted to be by Shihyun's side.

"I'm sure he'd be delighted to see you. Though, I can't go with you. They all still believe I'm locked up." Jooan said quietly.

Shihyun nodded, already having a countermeasure for that.


	14. Chapter 12

**~Time skip: 1 week~**

Minchan curiously looked at Haknyeon who sat with Dongheon. He couldn't keep up with everything they were doing. Green sparks of electricity often came out of the screen.

"Hey, why is there electricity emitting off of the hologram...?" asked Minchan.

"It's his power. It makes searching easier." Dongheon explained, unaware of the virus Haknyeon sneaked inside to head for the main frame and other vital parts of the building.

Minchan nodded then looked at his king. He was awake this time around and staring at Haknyeon. He quietly watched until Yeonho left his seat.

"Haknyeon." Yeonho called out.

"Yes, Mr. Ju." Haknyeon said with his head lowered.

"You were the only one sent, right?" he asked.

"Yessir. Younghoon is still missing, Changmin is in confinement and the other two are out seeking games for our King." said Haknyeon without hesitation.

"I see. Does your king no longer care about Younghoon's disappearance?" Yeonho pressed, now circling them.

"I've asked about it. His reply was that Younghoon is smart and strong enough to fend for himself." replied Haknyeon.

"Interesting..." said Yeonho. "Have you found the culprit?"

"No sir. I'm not finding any clues." lied Haknyeon as he erased anything that could be a clue.

Yeonho sighed then collapsed onto his chair.

"Leave." said Yeonho in a tired voice. Haknyeon nodded as he rose to his feet. He bowed and left the room. "We have rats... we need to exterminate."

✵ ✹ ✵ ✹

Everyone in Stray felt uneasy as Woojin was anxious. Felix never came back. Despite disliking Felix, Jisung couldn't help but worry too.

"Ya don tink he got imself in ta some trouble, ye?" Chan said, saying what was on everyone's mind.

"What are you going on about? Felix can take care of himself." Woojin said.

"Felix is..." Minho said.

"A lot stronger than he looks." Seungmin finished.

"Never underestimate silent types!" Minho said.

"You'll die." Seungmin added before dancing with Minho.

"I'll go look for him, Woojin sir." said Jisung before hurrying out.

As much as he didn't want to, he had to. Felix was important to Woojin like oxygen to a human. Felix was a part of Stray, a part of the family. No matter how much he wanted Felix gone, he couldn't forget all the times he's helped Stray, helped them individually. He didn't know places that he usually went to, but blindly searching wouldn't get him anywhere.

Woojin sat alone as the clan had all gone out in search of Felix. The surface of his drink briefly rippled as one of his tears had fallen in. He hated that they cared more about his happiness than their own. He wiped his eyes, wondering how and when did he get such a loving family from.

He looked at the empty bar, an illusion of Jeongin standing behind it, cleaning a glass. It looked behind itself and smiled happily at Woojin as if telling him "good job".

"I finally did something right in my life, huh..." muttered Woojin as he stared at the spot where the illusion was.

✵ ✹ ✵ ✹

Johnny placed the puzzle piece down before shoving it all off the desk. Jeno knocked before sticking his head nervously in the room. Jeno cowered behind the door as Johnny sent another object flying.

"Mr. Seo... I'm coming in." said Jeno as he slipped inside.

He watched as Johnny picked up his fallen jigsaw, piece by piece. Their king had been this way ever since Doyoung and Hendery disappeared.

"Your tea is ready..." Jeno said then backed up.

"Does it look like I want tea? Does it!?" asked Johnny, clearly stressed.

"Well, I think you _need_ it, sir..." Jeno said then hurried to bring the cart in.

Jeno managed to get him to sit down and drink some tea. He picked up the jigsaw pieces in his place. Life at NCity had gotten worse, an all time low. Some were working nearly 48 hour shifts without rest or breaks. A few collapsed while on patrol. The times he was able to quell his anger were the times everyone made sure to use it well before he rampaged again.

"Did you make this?" Johnny asked as he finished the last of it.

"Yes. It's a blend my father used to make for my mother when she had... sleeping problems." Jeno said, remembering a sad memory.

"It's good..." said Johnny, slowly drifting off to sleep.

Jeno quietly said goodnight then proceeded to lift Johnny onto his back. Most of NCity were either out patrolling or gathering information about their disappearance, so he could easily slip through with Johnny.

Jeno fastened the seatbelt across Johnny as he planned to take him home. A change of scenery would probably be best. He pulled out of the spot and drove according to the GPS's directions.

He often looked at Johnny, worried that he'd wake up and try to jump out of the car. His place was still a bit far. The tea kept his mother out for hours, but he didn't know how it affected Johnny as their situations and bodies were different.

✵ ✹ ✵ ✹

Eric walked around F.S.S in search of Younghoon. He hadn't seen him since he went to check on preparations for the Gray clan's departure. They had already set off, yet Younghoon wasn't in sight. He asked multiple members of the clan who all said they hadn't seen him.

He called his phone, but it went straight to voicemail. The heist was tomorrow, why was he goofing off the day before? He shook his head then headed back to his room. The heist was happening with or without him.

✵ ✹ ✵ ✹

Shihyun clapped happily as they all sang together. Jooan rubbed his head against Shihyun, gaining him a few pets.

"King, why do you treat Mr. Im like a pet?" Eson asked as he swung the sword around.

"Because that's all he means to me, a worthless pet who can't do anything without his master." replied Shihyun as he forced Jooan to look at him. "Is there a problem?"

"Not at all! I just wanted my curiosity quelled." said Eson with a smile.

Jooan pecked Shihyun's cheek and earned himself a slap on his own. Kyeongheon watched his king and higher up go back and forth before kissing. He never understood their relationship, especially if you threw the Colorless king into the picture. Shihyun glanced at Kyeongheon then gestured for him to come over.

"Come closer." Shihyun said. Kyeongheon moved closer. "Open your mouth."

Kyeongheon did as he was told. Shihyun pretended to inspect his mouth then went in for a brief kiss, startling his poor clansmen.

"What? Didn't you want one too? Staring at us so intently." Shihyun said in confusion.

"Absolutely not. I was wondering why you were getting so touchy feely with Jooan. Was I wrong in thinking you had a thing for the Colorless king?" asked Kyeongheon, knocking the person stirring back into unconsciousness.

"Oh, I do. Jooan's just a test dummy. If I want to court him, I need experience." said Shihyun as he had Jooan take his shirt off. "Anyway, make sure you and Eson keep those seven quiet and blinded. Can't have them freaking out on us and causing that Green up in the passenger seat to start getting suspicious."

Jooan bit his lip as Shihyun had turned his attention back to him, getting a good grasp on his nipples. Kyeongheon frowned and looked away, resting his eyes on Eson who struggled to pull the sword out of a box. He never would've known his king was secretly plotting to kidnap clan members himself. His king's mind was amazing, having fooled not just the Green king, but his own clan members.

✵ ✹ ✵ ✹

Hyogi yawned as he sat outside, soaking up the sun's rays. He worried about Minhyun as he hadn't woken up since falling asleep with their king that day. Did Minhyun have a power no one knew about? It couldn't be possible. Each clansmen was granted a certain power from the king himself.

His king hadn't really changed, but seemed worried lately. Was it because of what Minhyun said then about a big explosion and a multicolored monster? Wasn't it just a dream? Hyogi looked as someone sat down next to him.

"Mr. Kim..." Hyogi said as he moved to bow, but was stopped.

"Minhyun isn't well... He's trapped within his mind." said Jaemin as he smoothed the creases out on his white garment. "We need Gyehyeon."

"But he's still missing! Mr. Kim, will Minhyun die...?" Hyogi asked worriedly.

"If he can't eat or drink, then most likely." replied Jaemin as his pure white outfit shone in the sunlight. "Lets hope for the best."

Hyogi nodded as they looked out at the vast forest before them. Nothing but trees filled their sight. This forest was their home, the place his king's predecessors had been forced to live in because of past misunderstandings.

"King, why are we not allowed to relocate where our clan resides? Will some curse or death befall us?" asked Hyogi.

"We're free to relocate as much as we want. That goes for all clans. But do you know why we don't?" Jaemin asked, looking at Hyogi with his snow white eyes.

"Why...?" Hyogi asked.

"Because its what our predecessors left us. It's our duty to keep what they've been keeping alive all this time. Some of our predecessors in the future may not want to, but they can't escape who they are and what their calling is. Clansmen won't rest until they locate who their next king is." said Jaemin as he looked at the sky above him. "It's all about duty and preserving what has already been set in place by the ones before you."

Hyogi nodded in understanding. He could understand the other clans, but what did Morse and Wonnie have a duty to do? What did they have to preserve? Jaemin patted his back then leaned against him. Not too long after he fell asleep. Even if others thought badly about his king, Hyogi knew that Jaemin was the sweetest person ever and cared about friends and strangers all the same.


	15. Chapter 13

Eric drummed his fingers against the arm rest then sighed. Younghoon hadn't come back. Today was the day of the heist. Their success percentage had definitely gone down, but that wasn't going to stop him. He was going to proceed with it.

"Everyone! Today's the day we've all worked hard for. The day we seize the Adonis and and take control over Japan!" Eric shouted then received cheers. "Our front liner Younghoon is missing, but I have trust in you all that you'll successfully carry your tasks out without him."

They all replied in unison before Eric deployed them. He himself would arrive later that night. He learned that trouble had started to brew within each clan, mostly missing members. It was the perfect night to pull it off.

"Haknyeon, can you hear me?" Eric asked as he ate candy.

"Loud and clear, sir. We're steadily getting closer to Veri headquarters." said Haknyeon.

"Don't activate the virus until I get there." said Eric before going back to his game.

Haknyeon looked at Juyeon who nodded. They prepared for this day for as long as he could remember. Juyeon looked at Haknyeon, wondering how he could look so cool under pressure. He wasn't nervous, not at all. The thing that would mortify him most would be failure in front of his king.

They stopped some ways away from the building and proceed ahead on foot. Haknyeon signaled for everyone to get ready before telling them to move out. The Veris at the entrance couldn't get a sound out before they were fried to a crisp. A clan member hacked into the system and unlocked the front doors. They were in.

✵ ✹ ✵ ✹

Eric arrived at the scene and saw smoke rising from the building along with shattered glass. The view before him was beautiful. He had carefully memorized the route Younghoon had laid out for him and quickly made his way through it with his powers.

He looked around as fried and bloody bodies lined the floors. He hadn't seen a single F.S.S member yet. Though, he wouldn't see anymore corpses as his route wouldn't take him past anyone. It felt lonely not being accompanied by Younghoon, but they would never get a chance like this ever.

✵ ✹ ✵ ✹

Haknyeon wiped blood off his cheek as he downed another Veri. He wished they'd stop resisting which would give him an excuse not to kill. Juyeon came out of a room dragging Minchan in a tight headlock.

"Hak... nyeon...?" Minchan called out slowly as he was losing oxygen.

"Don't worry, we'll easily put you out of your misery. How would you like to die? Quick and easy or painfully slow?" asked Haknyeon as he neared Minchan.

"Can... I... say something..." wheezed Minchan as he could feel his brain shutting down.

"Go ahead." said Juyeon, not loosening his grip.

"Save... H... Hoy..." Minchan squeaked out before going limp.

Juyeon let him go. Haknyeon shook his head before slicing his neck open, not giving him a chance to recover.

"Only idiots care about others when death is staring them in the eye." said Haknyeon as they pushed on ahead.

"You're not going to grant his request?" Juyeon asked.

"Hoyoung's probably dead. King Sohn did say no one left alive." Haknyeon replied as they forced a door open, revealing a Veri cowering in fear.

Juyeon sighed as he watched Haknyeon kill yet another.

✵ ✹ ✵ ✹

Yeonho quietly lied on his sofa and didn't move an inch when a loud crash rang in his ears.

"To what do I owe the pleasure of having Eric Sohn in my presence?" Yeonho asked as he stared at the ceiling.

"Hand over Adonis and I'll spare you." said Eric, letting his body take a break from using his ability.

"How generous of you." said Yeonho as he finally sat up. "I can't let Adonis leave in anyone else's hands."

"I didn't ask that now did I? I'm giving you one last chance, Yeonho." said Eric as he held his hand out.

They quietly stared at each other as the night started to brighten slightly. Yeonho clasped his hands and soon Eric found himself enclosed in a weird space. He watched Yeonho descend the stairs and soon that disappeared as well. Large planets started floating around, often lining up.

"I can't just give it up." said Yeonho with a shrug.

"I figured as much." replied Eric as he prepared to fight.

A fight between kings ensued, Yeonho on offensive putting Eric on defensive. He couldn't get in close because of the spheres. Yeonho yawned then sent a planet pummeling straight into his backside. Eric was attacked from all sides, causing him to power down. Yeonho frowned at his pitiful sight.

"I told you, you can't have it." said Yeonho as he ascended the stairs.

Eric took that opportunity to send an electrified projectile into Yeonho's shoulder. He did a few more before rushing over, activating his ability once to deal a decisive blow. Yeonho barely managed to dodge his attack, having a planet knock him into a wall and keeping him pressed against it.

"You... you're the most dangerous king since Woojin's predecessor..." said Yeonho as he pulled the debris out of his shoulders. "I have to end you-"

Eric watched as Haknyeon shoved his knife deeper into Yeonho's back. The planet disappeared, releasing Eric. Haknyeon pulled the blade out, causing Yeonho to cough up blood like crazy.

"2vs1 huh... You really... are..." Yeonho said slowly before collapsing.

Eric thanked Haknyeon before searching around Yeonho's sofa. It had to be nearby. He started touching the ornate wall behind it but didn't find a switch or anything. He sucked his teeth and kicked one of the legs of the sofa. It made a click sound. A whirring noise came from above and a nearly blinding light made itself known.

"So that's where he hid it..." muttered Eric.

A small golden pedestal came up from the floor and Adonis was placed on it. Eric hurried over and took the sphere in his hands.

"It's finally mine..." said Eric before laughing. "It's really mine!"

Haknyeon watched in happiness as his king held the orb tenderly. This was the moment he had always dreamed of seeing.

"Contact the others. Tell them it was a success." said Eric as he held it up.

The sun had started to make itself known slightly as Eric and Haknyeon walked out of the king's chamber. Haknyeon couldn't help but notice the light in the orb steadily growing dimmer. Was it supposed to do that?

"Sir, Adonis... it's growing dimmer." Haknyeon mentioned, hoping it was normal.

"What? It shouldn't be..." Eric said, full of concern.

They made their way to the roof of the building just as the sun began to rise and make itself half visible. The light in Adonis vanished.

"Did we fail...?" Juyeon asked as he had joined them not too long ago.

Eric hissed as Adonis had burned his fingers despite not having any light. He reached down to pick it up then was sent flying back as it suddenly started to glow brightly, completely unlike before.

"What's going on!?" Haknyeon asked in full panic mode.

Adonis continued to grow brighter then sent a beam of light up from where it sat.

✵ ✹ ✵ ✹

Hyogi woke up then saw his king standing outside. It was completely unlike him. He joined Jaemin outside and saw he was looking at a yellow beam of light.

"What is that?" Hyogi asked curiously.

Jaemin kept silent as he watched. His Spirit Choi appeared above him, slowly moving about.

"It's bad news." said Jaemin.

✵ ✹ ✵ ✹

Shihyun swung his legs back and forth as he looked at the beam of light. He looked up and saw his Spirit Choi had appeared without him calling for it. Jooan sat behind him and wrapped his arms around his neck.

"He's done it." Shihyun said, wondering why his Choi was visible.

"Shihyun, I'm worried about you." Jooan said in a serious tone.

"If you're so worried, don't let me go." said Shihyun before popping another snack into his mouth.

Jooan gently kissed his cheek then snuggled closer. He knew Shihyun got a bad feeling from that light and was trying to play it off.

✵ ✹ ✵ ✹

Woojin looked up with Chan at the beam of light. His weakened and broken down Spirit Choi appeared over his head. Chan pointed it out.

"Chan, I want you to listen to me. I've got a bad feeling, so I want you to head back and tell the others to prepare for the worst." said Woojin before taking off towards the light.

Chan felt conflicted then ultimately headed back to warn the others.

✵ ✹ ✵ ✹

Jeno and Johnny watched the beam of light from inside his apartment. Johnny froze as he felt his Spirit Choi appear. Jeno looked at him, wondering why he looked tense.

"What's that light?" asked Jeno.

Johnny hurriedly put on clothes and shoes before dashing out of the apartment. That bad feeling he got during the night had gotten worse. Something bad was going to happen after all.

✵ ✹ ✵ ✹

Beomgyu doubled over in pain as the beam of light continued to to show itself. His Spirit Choi appeared, floating around aimlessly. His screams went unheard as the beam of light had long since gone.

All of the kings collectively felt this grueling pain not too long after the light stopped showing. Passerby and people close looked at them with worry, wondering what was going on. Each king had fallen silent before their bodies were lifted up and dispersed into particles of their king color.

Hyogi grabbed at the particles, tears welling up in his eyes. His king disappeared right before his eyes. He couldn't do a thing. Knowing that hurt even more. The particles drifted away towards where the beam of light was. Hyogi hurriedly followed after them, hoping to get them back somehow.


	16. Chapter 14

Haknyeon walked over to the orb, tears falling from his eyes.

"Give me back my king, you stupid object!" he shouted, being held back by Juyeon.

"Stop! This isn't going to solve anything." Juyeon shouted as he held Haknyeon tighter.

Adonis started to shake as it rose into the sky. Seven colors started to pour out of it and started to take a form, each color representing a king. Juyeon backed up with Haknyeon as it started to grow bigger.

Kyeongheon watched in disbelief as Jooan collapsed right before his eyes. He along with Younghoon and Doyoung started to become particles just his king. He and Eson grabbed at their particles, watching them slip through their fingers and out the door.

The other right hands turned into particles, aiding in the monster's growth. Civilians started screaming at the top of their lungs as they ran away. The monster stood completely still. Was it incomplete? It opened its mouth and a large area had exploded and gone up in flames. Haknyeon and Juyeon looked at each other before hiding from its sight. The ground shook with each step it took.

✵ ✹ ✵ ✹

Hyogi fell to his knees as the particles had led him into the city. He saw smoke rising up into the sky. Was there a fire? He freaked out at the sound of yet another area being blown to pieces.

"This is..." Hyogi climbed a tree then jumped onto a fire escape to get a better view of things from a roof. "No... no way..."

He saw destruction. He saw that multicolored monster. Minhyun's dream was coming to life. He looked at his hands and wondered how much time he had left before becoming particles himself. He balled his hands into fists, wanting to do something before his time came.

✵ ✹ ✵ ✹

Taehyun rubbed his eyes and took in his surroundings. Kyeongheon and Eson sat with tear stained cheeks. Changmin and Hyunjoon started to stir as well.

"What happened...?" asked Taehyun.

Hendery shot up and looked around.

"Where's Doyoung?" he asked frantically.

"Would you believe us if we said our king, Jooan, Younghoon and Doyoung turned into particles and flew away towards where we saw a beam of light?" asked Kyeongheon, accurately describing what occurred.

"Stop joking around." fussed Hendery.

He looked at Carmine who fought back tears. They weren't joking. Taehyun turned on the TV which was tuned into the news. All eyes were on it as it talked about a multicolored monster destroying the city.

"Those colors..." Hyunjoon said, knowing that green color anywhere.

"Silver, gold, red, blue, green, gray and white..." Taehyun said as he looked from left to right. "I'm not saying it's definite... but what if those colors... and the ones who turned into particles..."

"No way! Doyoung would never be done in by something like this!" Hendery shouted, not wanting to consider it.

Kyeongheon's phone rang and he was slow to answer. His eyes widened as he looked at Hendery.

"Your king... he... he turned into particles... just like mine..." said Kyeongheon, his eyes welling up again.

Hendery took the phone as Kyeongheon weeped.

"I saw it all. He ran out then doubled over in pain and fell down the stairs. He then turned into particles, heading towards the beam of light we saw. And I followed them and it led me to this humongous creature!" explained Jeno as he dodged falling debris. "I don't know what's going on, but our king is definitely in that monster. I need your help, come quickly!"

Jeno hung up. Hendery's body trembled as he looked at the footage on TV. That couldn't be their king. Tears streamed down his cheeks. He didn't want to believe it.

"I know our clans are always at each other's throats for the pettiest of reasons but..." said Kyeongheon as he wiped his face free of tears and snot. "Just this once, can we band together? Save our beloveds?"

Taehyun held Kyeongheon's dry hand and gave him a curt nod. They looked at the others in the room. They nodded as well.

"Which clans are left?" Eson asked.

"Red, gold, and colorless." said Taehyun. "I'm the only other Morse..."

Hendery got to work, contacting the rest of NCity to lend a helping hand.

Changmin looked at Hyunjoon who nodded.

"We don't think Veri will be able to aid us." said Changmin.

"Why not?" asked Hendery.

"Slaughtered." Hyunjoon said, keeping it short. "It was our king's doing."

"I bet he caused this too!" Kyeongheon shouted.

"Now isn't the time to fight. We can dish out punishments after we rescue them." said Felix from behind everyone.

Everyone looked, wondering how and when he got there. Eson was the one to ask.

"I've been here the entire time. I'm used to being overlooked. I just finished talking with Stray, seems our king knew something would happen and had everyone prepared." explained Felix as he joined the circle.

"Then what are we waiting for? Let's go save them!" said Kyeongheon as he rose to his feet.

"Slow down there tiger. Why don't we gather everyone at NCity first?" suggested Hendery.

"Does anyone have Wonnie's contact info?" Taehyun asked.

"Our king was close to the Colorless king. I think I remember the number..." muttered Kyeongheon as he tried the number.

It was out of service. He tried a few more but ended up empty handed. Just then a phone started to ring. Felix reached under the table and pulled it out.

"Jooan's phone!" said Eson. "Answer it."

"Hello?" Felix said.

"You aren't Jooan..." the voice said.

"Wait, don't hang up! What's your name?" Felix asked quickly.

"Minhyun... Mr. Kim told me to call this number if I was all alone and feeling distressed..." said Minhyun as he looked out the window.

"Minhyun of the Wonnie clan? Where are you? We're all planning to meet up at NCity to rescue our kings. I'll come get you if needed." suggested Felix.

They watched as Felix said a few more things before hanging up.

"I have a person to pick up. I'll meet you there." said Felix before taking off.

✵ ✹ ✵ ✹

Minhyun absentmindedly sat on the unfenced porch as he awaited Felix's arrival. He wondered where Hyogi and Jaemin had gone without telling him. He moved to head back inside then noticed someone down below.

"Minhyun, it's me! Felix!" he shouted. Minhyun climbed down then was surprised by his hug. "Someone from Wonnie still exists..."

Minhyun didn't understand. What did he mean by that? Felix held his hand and pulled him along.

"What's going on...?" asked Minhyun, clearly out of the loop.

Felix took a deep breath before explaining. He could see Minhyun trying to be strong, but failing. He couldn't fault the guy.

"So, are they gone for good...?" Minhyun asked quietly.

"If that was the case, we shouldn't be able to use our powers." said Felix as a small flame appeared on his finger. "Like I said, it's all the clans banding together. Though, some have been getting sucked into the creature..."

Minhyun nodded, well aware of what needed to be done. It didn't take a genius to see how much Minhyun was breaking on the inside.

✵ ✹ ✵ ✹

Hendery looked around at those who were left. He looked at Haknyeon and Juyeon who were at the scene. Haknyeon left his spot and joined Hendery up front.

"As some of you may have guessed, that colored monster is our beloved kings and their right hands. I'll tell you all what Juyeon and I saw." said Haknyeon before recalling everything from Eric dropping Adonis to the growth of the creature. "There was a brave soul who tried fighting it, but he turned into particles as well..."

"Did he touch the white part of the creature?" asked Minhyun.

"How did you know...?" Haknyeon asked curiously.

"I had a dream... some days ago... It was this exact situation. I have no idea how it ends..." Minhyun confessed...

"Ya foresaw tis? And didn't tell anyun!?" Chan said in annoyance.

"I thought it was just a bad dream..." Minhyun mumbled.

"Either way, we need to do something. More people are dying and disappearing into that creature as we speak." Hyunjoon said.

"How about we try giving love?" said Taehyun.

"This isn't grade school!" Jungwoo barked as he leaned against Jaehyun.

"Maybe we should destroy Adonis." said Jeno, gaining everyone's attention. "Where did you see Adonis last before the monster formed fully?"

"Up above... but when it started to move, it sunk into it." Hyunjoon explained. "From that we can assume it's moved."

Everyone started to throw out suggestions until Hendery created a loud noise.

"We're going to remove Adonis from that creature, even if it means having to cut it open." said Hendery before laying out a plan. "Don't touch the color of your king, otherwise you'll end up feeding yourself to it."

Everyone nodded then started to file out. Minhyun stayed behind. Felix turned around then walked back to him. Minhyun felt him hold his hands. They were warm and comforting.

"Hyogi said your fighting abilities were noteworthy. Why don't you showcase them now?" Felix suggested with a smile.

"I can't fight... not like this..." Minhyun whispered as he pulled away. "My family is in that thing. How could I?"

"Then how about this? I'll stay with you and let's figure out how your dream ended. I'm sure it's somewhere in your memory bank." said Felix as he sat down.

Minhyun looked at Felix who continued to hold his hands gently. For the first time in months, Minhyun smiled a genuine smile.


	17. Chapter 15

Jeno helped Chan up as the creature had knocked him down. Everyone was dripping blood from some part of their body at this point. None of the tactics were working. Chan wobbled to his feet then coughed up a bit of blood.

"We can't beat that thing... It has too much power..." Jeno whispered as he watched the others continue the attack.

"We gotta try. Our kings are in there!" Chan said, leaving the safety of Jeno's arms and charging back into battle.

No matter how much they attacked, it would just regenerate at rapid speed. None of them had a possession ability or a parasite kind either. It was hopeless. Tokyo Metropolis and neighboring towns and cities would be destroyed.

_"Hello? Can anyone here me!?"_ a voice said inside Jeno's mind.

_"I, Jeno, can! Everyone else is too busy fighting. We're almost at our limit. We'll either be sucked in, killed from an attack or die of blood loss."_ Jeno replied as he watched the scene before him.

_"We've uncovered a part of how this ends. You have to keep Hendery, Haknyeon, and Taehyun safe. They're the key."_ said the voice quickly. _"I don't know what they have to do, but it didn't seem like Adonis was destroyed."_

Jeno hurriedly limped over to everyone to spread the word. The three of them were still alive. Taehyun and Hendery attacked from both sides, but the monster turned, now having its blue part facing Hendery. He couldn't let Hendery touch it.

Everyone watched as Jeno took off at top speed. Hendery glanced to the side and saw Jeno.

"What are you doing? You'll get sucked in if you're not careful!" Hendery shouted, already accepting his fate.

Everyone stopped as Hendery's trajectory was changed. Hendery reached out as Jeno fell back, slowly turning into particles. Jeno closed his eyes and smiled. For once he was able to save Hendery to pay back for all the times Hendery had saved him.

✵ ✹ ✵ ✹

Felix drank water as he kept his hand against Minhyun's forehead. Was there really nothing else? Or was his mind trying to protect him? He looked out the window and frowned at the sight of huge cloud of smoke. Things weren't going well. Minhyun stirred, causing Felix to move his hand.

"Did you find it...?" he asked, trembling.

"A part of it. That or that's all it was. A foresight in pieces." said Felix as he handed Minhyun water.

"You should go help the others... I'm just extra baggage." whispered Minhyun as he remembered. "I couldn't do a thing for them..."

"It's not anyone's fault. You wouldn't have been able to do anything anyway..." Felix whispered, comforting the crying Minhyun. "I'm sure they can figure it out. They have to."

✵ ✹ ✵ ✹

The trio nodded then jumped off the roof, onto the back of the creature. Hendery wasn't sure if it'd work, but something had to be done. They each placed their hands on a color, wondering if they'd get sucked in. Nothing happened. Hendery drove his sword into a spot then noticed a small opening was kept open for a bit before closing.

"Hey, come here. We might be able to get inside." said Hendery as he hacked away.

The others joined him and soon a hole was big enough for a person to slip through. They sent Hendery in.

He looked around as he found himself surrounded by nothing but colors. Small colored spheres started whizzing past him. What were they? He grabbed one and looked at it.

"Hyogi...? These are..." Hendery whispered as more started to whizz around.

How could he tell a king apart from a clansmen? He looked around, wondering if anything could help him. He started lining his pockets with the spheres of clansmen. Which king would be of most use in a situation like this? Physical and ability attacks had little to no effect.

"Colorless! King Kim Jaemin! Where are you!?" Hendery shouted as he looked around for a clear sphere in the air.

He started losing confidence. He let his hand rest against the multicolored wall and fell through. He looked up and saw seven big colored orbs sitting beneath Adonis. Was he to destroy Adonis? Would that guarantee everyone's safety? He didn't want to risk it. He quickly hurried over and tried pulling them out.

"Stuck..." muttered Hendery as he tried using his sword.

He sighed then decided to try using words. Did the Colorless king have a motto?

"Wonnie wants to see you alive and well." said Hendery, hoping it'd do something.

The clear sphere popped out and rolled onto the floor. Hendery looked at the gray sphere and racked his brain for a motto or something meaningful.

"Carmine is a strong willed clan." said Hendery. Nothing happened. He thought on it more. "King Kim Shihyun is the greatest."

The sphere popped out. He nearly lost his footing as the creature stared to suffer significant damage from the loss of two kings. Hendery picked them up to avoid losing them. Next was the Green king, the one everyone despised.

"The Green king is the strongest king." Hendery said, knowing how much the king loves power. The sphere popped out. "So vain..."

The next two came out with ease. Hendery nearly dropped them as the creature had now fallen to its knees. Taehyun and Haknyeon watched from afar as the creature had fallen against a building. Whatever Hendery was doing, it was working. The remaining clansmen started to seal up its mouth, preventing it from causing another explosion.

"Hey, the colors..." Taehyun pointed out.

Five of the seven colors had disappeared. Was it a good sign? Neither knew. The next two colors eventually faded. The creature started to glow.

"Everyone! Run!" Haknyeon shouted as he didn't want to lose anyone else.

Everyone fled as the creature started to grow brighter. The creature exploded in a blindly light. Haknyeon and Taehyun hurried down to see what had become of Hendery.

Haknyeon held Hendery as he held on tightly to the seven colored spheres. They started to glow and soon turned into particles which then started to form the bodies of the kings. The small spheres did so as well. Felix and Minhyun arrived at the scene in time to see the pretty glow of the lights, bringing back their friends, their family.

Minhyun immediately took off at the sight of his king and clan who were still coming back.

"King Jaemin, king Jaemin, please wake up." Minhyun said through his sobs.

Everyone started to crowd around their kings and clansmen. Hendery gently held Johnny and slapped Doyoung's cheek. Felix sat beside Woojin, looking at the others forming a crowd.

Beomgyu was the first to awake out of the seven kings. Taehyun smiled happily and alerted everyone.

"I felt like I was hit by a truck... thrice." mumbled Beomgyu as he sat up. "Why is everything... such a mess...?"

His eye caught Yeonho lying still off to the far side. He couldn't quite stand and ended up crawling over to him. His eyes dilated at the sight of Yeonho's current body state. His body shook as tears poured out of his eyes. He searched around for Gyehyeon then hurriedly shook him.

"Gyehyeon, please wake up. Please!" Beomgyu begged.

Gyehyeon remained still. Taehyun sat beside his king, checking Yeonho for a pulse.

"It's very faint..." Taehyun mumbled. "If not minutes then seconds left..."

Gyehyeon started to stir then took in his surroundings. He wasn't in that stuffy, dark room anymore. He wasn't in pain anymore. His eye caught his king facedown on the ground.

"King..." Gyehyeon whispered as he lifted himself up.

He pulled his king into his arms and activated his ability. Kai started to stir and caught a glimpse of his king's outfit in his peripheral vision. He lifted himself up and crawled over, only to see his king's closest friend on the brink of death and his king sobbing loudly.

The others had awakened, including Eric and Younghoon. He looked around and his clansmen hovering over him with worried faces. He couldn't believe it. What did he do to earn their concerns and worry? Younghoon pulled Eric into his chest as he could see he was about to cry.

"King, I must humbly apologize. A few of the other clans' clansmen know what we've done to Veri. Punishment cannot be avoided." Hyunjoon confessed on his knees. "I'm sorry."

Haknyeon patted his back with his head lowered along with the rest of the clan.

"You're all amazing... and for that I give you all my sincerest thank you and my most heartfelt apology..." Eric replied as he looked at each and every one of them.

✵ ✹ ✵ ✹

Minhyun quietly sat beside his king as he looked out at the vast forest before them. A few days had passed since the Adonis creature incident. F.S.S and Carmine had been taken into custody, Carmine guilty of association and kidnapping. The Veri headquarters was given a huge funeral for those who perished in the raid. No one knows of the Gold king's condition. Some say he and Gyehyeon were hiding out with the Silver king, others say they fled to another country all together. Adonis ended up in the hands of the Silver king.

Not much had changed for NCity, Stray nor Wonnie. NCity and Stray were still at odds, while they remained where they called home. Minhyun's thoughts were interrupted by the feeling of a hand on his head.

"You did well." said Jaemin as he looked at Minhyun.

Minhyun nodded as he grew misty eyed. Jaemin pulled him closer as they sat under the sun's rays with a light breeze blowing around. Things were peaceful again for them, while things were normal for NCity and Stray. Minhyun fell asleep as Jaemin had been gently massaging his scalp. He didn't want to have another dream like the one he had before. He opened his eyes then stared at the scene before him.

Tokyo Metropolis no longer existed.


End file.
